Hiding So Close
by Garnet Wings
Summary: Sarah can't get over the thrills and chills of the Underground and yearns to return. She finds a way back in with her arrival unnoticed by a certain king, but can she continue on in secret? And who are these humans living in this fairytale place? COMPLETE
1. Thank you ma'am, for my ticket back

Disclaimer: All characters from the movie are not mine! Anyone else is.

Summary: Sarah, bored with life, is hungry for more of the magical adventure she tasted during her trip through the Labyrinth. She manages to find a way to return to the Underground without the Goblin King's knowledge; can she keep her existence there a secret? If not, what will _he_ do if he finds her?

* * *

Thank you Ma'am

1

* * *

Sarah was about to wake up to her first day as a high school graduate filled with a sense of dread. Her family would begin the 'going away to college' summer countdown that would tick each day away, anticipation rising, until vacation's end, but there was a hitch. Sarah hadn't applied to any schools. A misstep she'd kept all to herself through distraction and skillful subject shifts during suspicious conversations. The reasons for such a blunder were these, she had been so indecisive about which school to attend, and what field of study she might pursue that she decided to ease her stress and simply - not decide. Her stress avoidance technique had worked; Sarah wasn't worried at all. There was always community college, or she could use the year to 'find herself'.

She did, nevertheless, feel guilty about keeping it from her family. Her father was the quiet type, but glowed with pride for his daughter over any little achievement, of which there had been few in the recent years. Teenage hormones were his excuse for the new, striking listlessness he saw in his daughter. He was sure she'd return to her old self eventually. Karen, her step-mother, constantly clucked generous praises, though perhaps a little too often and too zealously in Sarah's opinion. The little ray-of-sunshine Toby, however, reserved his commendations for when she bestowed treats and trinkets, since the concept of college was many years off.

When her stepmother wasn't chattering about Sarah's 'bright future', she had her mind set on thoughts of summer employment and the paychecks that accompany such activities. Sarah finding a job was Karen's most desired activity for her stepdaughter since 'college doesn't pay for itself'. If only the woman knew there were no such fees to worry about.

But that was all beside the point as far as Sarah was concerned. An idea was on the horizon, waiting and ready to crash down upon her. It would be perfect, once she realized what it was. Sarah had sunk into a nasty funk over the past few years. Fate, or whatever was out there, had decided to torture her, or so it would soon seem to her.

.

A couple months before her graduation, the school's drama department, of which Sarah was an active member even after the change in her personality, had decided the final performance of the year would be the widely unknown and unanticipated story 'Labyrinth'.

Bull_, _she'd thought upon reading the pale blue flyer tacked to the school notice board. Since when did fantasy stories stray near enough her dull, classics addicted drama teacher's list of 'crowd pleasing' play ideas? After all, the man was infamous in town for his sometimes quirky, but unceasingly drab stage adaptations of classic, well known romances.

Sarah stood staring in a numb state of shock when someone spoke from behind her.

"Laby-what? Aw man. I was set on doing the Count of Monte Cristo this year like always!" the voice protested.

Sarah chuckled as she turned to the light-eyed boy. "Still, think Mr. Rowe would ever let you play the lead after last year's catastrophe, Erin?"

A sheepish shrug was his only response.

"Anyway, Labyrinth will be better fare than the usual I think. The story is about this girl …" she spent the next five minutes excitedly retelling the story while they moseyed their way to the school's exit. She stopped only when she realized that under his coal black hair he had a thoughtful look on his face. "You… don't like it?"

He shook his head clear and heaved his shoulders skyward, leaving them stuck by his ears. "I feel like I know what you're talking about but I've never heard of this story. Anyway," he dismissed, "it's kinda, I dunno, weird sounding don't ya think? "

Sarah deflated. "Sure."

"By the way, I heard today that someone…"

She spent the rest of the walk home feigning interest in talk of school scandals, nodding her head vaguely when his voice lilted upwards in a question, but never actually hearing what he'd asked. Gushing about the story to Erin had been her first attempt at talking about that particular topic to any of her few friends and it had felt good. She'd been desperately hoping for, and laughably expecting, a better reception.

After that day, a distracted Sarah pushed away thoughts of the play and resolved not to audition for it, maybe she'd focus solely on decorations for once. So when she'd walked into the auditorium one afternoon only to glance up and find the stage crew painting the familiar image of a twisting Labyrinth. She'd just about fainted. Sarah learned that she had been cast in the wretched production. It seemed that no auditions were necessary; the drama teacher knew exactly who he wanted playing what, and there was absolutely no getting out of it without failing the class. She'd been relieved, however, to scan the posted cast list the following day and discover that she was only a lowly heckling goblin. A casting choice that, while a stinging insult to her pride as an actor, was a welcome relief to her tortured mind since it meant fewer instances of painful déjà vu. The fortunate casting, however, was no help in stopping the seed of memory long repressed from being planted in her subconscious. The seed would soon grow in her mind like only something from the Underground could. Eventually becoming a nasty, inky shadow in the back of her mind that would spiral her thoughts back to that night three years ago. Old fears, pains and desires would swell up from where she had beaten them into submission so long ago.

Further examination of the cast list informed her that Erin had, contrary to popular expectations, landed a leading role. A gasp of shock escaped her when she saw who he would play.

"Not exactly the reaction I was hoping for!" A poorly attempted regal, and only faintly English, accent complained from the stage behind her.

Sarah spun to face Erin who stood in full costume with blond wig and make up, on stage with hands on hips and doing his best to look intimidating as he puffed out his chest. He was pleased with the expression that spread onto Sarah's face, horror and heat fused into one. Exactly the reaction he believed someone should sport when gazing upon the admirable Goblin King. What he didn't know was that it was in reality, precisely the expression Sarah would have worn if standing before the man himself, because at that moment Sarah saw not her quirky younger friend, but an image of Jareth.

A cold shudder trickled through her body as she spun on her heals, stumbling dizzily as she ran out of the auditorium. A befuddled Erin was left behind to interpret the action the best he could.

Sarah rushed home and hastily retrieved a few boxes from the basement, lugging them to her room with the 'help' of her cutely clumsy baby brother who had been excited by his sister's frantic energy. After gently shooing him from the room with assurances that there was nothing fun and exciting in the boxes, she unpacked the contents like a mad woman as the memories they breathed back into her left her dazed. The colorful dolls and fantastical drawings of her youth were spread out before her hungry eyes, and nestled among them was an innocent ruby book. She picked it up and fingered the frayed corners, shaking her head and sighing as she released the tension in her body and mind.

"I really can't escape you can I?" she whispered, pressing her hand to its cover as if she could dash away the memories with the heel of her palm.

.

As months passed and the play took shape, Sarah eventually embraced it, a less exhausting choice, and began looking forward to the few hours after school when she could surround herself with old friends, albeit in poorly costumed, human form. It was enough for awhile. It wasn't until the last curtain call was a week gone and Sarah had returned to life as she had known it for the past three years when she finally became aware of her growing misery. She was bored and lonely. The feelings heightened by the impending departure of her friends to the campuses of the colleges she had failed to apply for. She now yearned for the sights, sounds and company she'd had such a short glimpse of and found so satisfying those many years prior.

Her mind swam with thoughts of that world. The Underground must be a vast, thrilling place beyond the shifting, sly walls of the Labyrinth and the Goblin City, she was sure of it. The thought of safe adventures in such places made her desire stronger. She had spent hours of her class time imagining what could possibly exist beyond those walls. She had dwindled away her last weeks of school in that manner.

Soon those daily imaginings would be shattered by a very enticing possibility.

All of that would have to wait, however, because back in the here and now, Sarah was sleeping like normally only a hibernating bear could.

Her alarm clock shrilled to life but accomplished nothing more than irritating her father enough to propel him to bang on her door and shatter any of her hopes of ignoring the wake-up call. She grudgingly pushed out of bed and silenced it.

Staggering out of her bedroom and down to the kitchen, she dropped into a chair beside her brother who giggled a good morning to her. She made a goofy grin back at him as she dug into her breakfast.

Karen turned from where she had been pouring juice at the counter and spotted Sarah. "Oh, there you are. I circled a few job openings I saw in the paper. You need to apply for them today."

Sarah rolled her eyes as she accepted the apple juice and heavily marked classified section of the newspaper Karen handed her. She ignored the paper completely once she'd set it next to her plate. Sarah quickly finished her breakfast and was up and washing her dishes when Karen spoke again.

"Make sure you're back from your day of job hunting early tonight. Your father and I are going to the theater. Understood?"

Nodding dutifully she set her dishes onto the drying rack. Jogging up the stairs she showered and dressed while everyone else headed out on various chores.

Sarah, having absolutely no intention of looking for a job and feeling very disinterested in life in general, took advantage of her time alone and settled into bed and began to read a little red book.

.

That evening, Sarah peeked out from the kitchen where she had been preparing a dinner of chicken parmesan for herself and her brother when she heard her father and Karen out in the foyer preparing to leave for the theater.

Karen spotted her immediately and didn't waste a second to inquire about how Sarah's job search had gone. "I hope you at least applied to all of those places I circled Sarah," Karen sighed as she slipped on a silk shall.

Sarah resisted rolling her eyes, something she found herself doing a lot when near her stepmother, despite both of their best intentions. "What else would I have been doing all day Karen?" she questioned sarcastically.

Her father sent her a warning glance.

Karen simply nodded. "I don't know. Sometimes it's like you're… you're living in another world in that mind of yours. You're so preoccupied."

Sarah quirked an eyebrow at the odd comment as the couple turned to leave. Something about the declaration had struck her, leaving her with an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. She hastily brushed it off as she scooped the wriggling Toby into her embrace and bounced with him into the kitchen.

That night, after a successful dinner and movie night with her now sleeping baby brother, a drowsy Sarah was just relaxing into bed when an idea - no, the idea, the one that had been waiting oh so patiently for its chance to advance, finally broke past the horizon and swept into her with every ounce of its power, leaving her gasping and beaming.

'It's like you're living in another world...'

_Thank you ma'am, for my ticket back._


	2. Forgotten Farewells

Forgotten Farewells

Ch 2

* * *

The next morning, rays of sunlight stretched past the curtains to caress the surfaces of the room. An alarm clock set atop an end table was engulfed in sunlight. Then, as if the suns warmth had awoken it from slumber it began to ring, bringing Sarah into the waking world with it.

Sitting up slowly she moved her legs to dangle off the side of the bed and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with the back of her hand. Stretching her arms heavenward, she yawned then slowly brought a hand down to silence the device. She slumped there for a moment, just letting her muscles relax as she glanced around her room. Something had been nagging her from the back of her mind; it's what had spurred her to wake up without a fight. Her gaze finally landed on her mirror. Eyes widening, she grinned as she recalled the idea that had struck her just the night before.

She glided towards the mirror to initiate her plan. She glanced momentarily at a snapshot of her and Erin at drama camp, their matching shocks of black hair framing a pair of cold blue and a set of soothing green eyes. Gazing steadily into the mirror, bracing herself against the unknown, she gripped the edge of the vanity. It had been so long since she'd stopped summoning them. The torture of each new goodbye grew more unbearable until finally she stopped calling, thinking it better to have no glimpse of that wonderland than to tease herself with a peak every now and then**.**

"Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus, I—I need you," she whispered, her heart racing as the words wisped past her parted lips and plunged into the mirror.

The surface blurred. Sarah's face scrunched up in confusion and she blinked hard to make sure it wasn't her eyes acting up. When she glanced back, the mirror was clearing and she could make out the fuzzy outline of Hoggle lounging on her bed. Then she spotted Ludo standing from foot to foot in the middle of her room, his ginger fur brushing against the foot of her bed. As her excitement grew she searched for, but didn't see, Sir Didymus. Despite his absence, a smile engulfed her face as she spun around to greet them, only to find that they existed only in the confines of her mirror so she turned back.

"Oh, I knew it would work, that you'd come!"

They returned her smile as they each greeted her. "A' course we came, we promised ta come if ya ever needed us!" Hoggle huffed as if insulted by her surprise.

"Ludo miss Sarah!" Ludo bellowed, his voice rumbling around the room, sending tremors through her as if he were truly standing behind her.

Then came an unexpected voice, "You, my lady, were sorely missed by us all." It was the high-pitched voice of Sir Didymus, coming from the direction of her shelf of stuffed animals.

Sarah gasped. "I didn't see you there Sir Didymus!" She leaned forward to rest her elbows on the vanity and prop her chin in her cupped hand. "How have things been? Are you all..." The conversation crept on for hours as the four friends reacquainted themselves with one another. Sarah enjoyed the light conversation but had something specific on her mind and finally couldn't hold it in.

"I want to go back!" she blurted out. "To the Underground, I mean." She cast each of them a hopeful glance.

Sir Didymus brightened. "Why, that's a wonderful..."

"No," Hoggle cut him off.

Sarah looked at him, hurt by his unwelcoming tone. "But, Hoggle, if there's a way..."

"No! Sarah, ya just can't. Think of the danger! Think of what Jareth would do if ya did and he found ya!" Hoggle ranted. He looked upset, a little nervous even. He paused a moment before shifting tactics. "It don't matter none anyways, there's no way ta get ya here."

She sank back feeling defeated, but then noticed the agitated way Hoggle's eyes darted around her room.

"You can do it can't you!" She stood abruptly, sending her stool flying. "You know how to bring me back but you won't!"

He peered at her from downcast eyes, shaking his head. "I'm sorry Sarah," he murmured.

Sarah was about to argue when she saw his expression and hesitated, not wanting to fight after three long years apart. Righting her stool she lowered herself onto it, forcing herself to be calm. Once calm, she moved her saddened gaze to Ludo and Sir Didymus, both sporting expressions of confusion and sadness, the foremost pointed in Hoggle's decision.

_So it's true then, they know how I can return but won't say. At least Hoggle won't say, the others seem to follow his lead even if they don't want to. Hoggle always was a bully._

"Hoggle you don't understand! Life here is—I can't stand it after experiencing the magic of the Underground! Anything that could happen to me there must be better than this," Sarah pleaded her case whole-heartedly, her throat tight and tears prickling her eyes.

Sir Didymus couldn't stand seeing her this way so he leapt down from his perch on the doll shelf and went to her reflections' side. "I can simply no longer stand to see m'lady so melancholy, I must tell her..."

He was again cut off as Hoggle lurched forward and gripped his snout shut. Hoggle turned to Sarah and backed away, carrying Sir Didymus with him. "We've gotta go now Sarah. I'm sorry."

"Wait! Hoggle— no—not yet!" she cried out desperately, but their image in the mirror was already beginning to blur.

"Goodbye," Hoggle whispered. One hand was still clutched around the little fox's snout, the other hand deftly moving to wipe at the wetness glistening below his eyes.

"Come back later! Please!" She caught a glimpse of Hoggle nodding with a weak smile, Ludo and Sir Didymus waved before they were just blurs of color.

She leaned back, hands trembling. She pressed her palms to her eyes, refusing to allow tears to leak out.

Bolting to her feet she flew down the stairs, stopping before turning into the kitchen, she took a deep breath then entered. Sending a dull "Good Morning" in the direction of her father and Karen, she bent down to Toby so he could lovingly smear a sticky milk kiss across her right cheek.

"Mo'ning Sawah!" he squealed as she ruffled his radiantly gold mane as it sparkled in the sun that poured in through the big bay window across the table.

She laughed, mood easing. "Morning munchkin."

Her father smiled at the two. "I thought we could go for a picnic for lunch, Sarah. We're sorry about last night, didn't realize our outing was scheduled on the same night as your first day of vacation when we bought the tickets."

"It's alright, Dad. You were going to the theatre after all, there are few things worth missing a visit to the theater for."

He laughed and reached for her hand, pulling her towards him when she took it. "We really wanted to celebrate it with you, my dear."

Sarah nodded and leaned down so he could kiss her cheek. Karen took her other hand and cupped it in hers, patting it and beaming up at her.

"We're so proud of you Sarah. You've really grown up exquisitely." Sarah beamed at her stepmother. The pair had never reached a stage where they were comfortable with a high level of affection, but Sarah had learned she was as quick to compliment as she was to scold. It's true that she was no replacement for the excitement she felt from her actress mother's company and knowledge, but Sarah found that that meant Karen was all the more keen to learn about the world of acting from her. They'd shared many conversations where Sarah boasted her knowledge of the backstage workings of her mother's productions, she'd been pleased to have Karen's eager ear.

Sarah squeezed her hand and returned to Toby to readjust the paper towel bib tucked into his shirt before grabbing a banana and leaping back upstairs. She headed to the shower to get ready for the day in a perky mood.

Forty minutes later she entered her room and tossed the banana peel into the trash. Freshly showered, with hair blown dry and wearing an emerald green t-shirt, a fitted pair of jeans and black slip on shoes she strolled over to her window and tugged back the curtains to check if her family had left yet for their weekly morning visit to Karen's relatives. Seeing the empty driveway she settled herself in front of her vanity. Her mood darkened rapidly as she remembered earlier's disaster with Hoggle. She stilled, waiting for the angry tears that were suddenly prickling her eyes to subside. Once composed, she took a deep breath, glared at her reflection.

"Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo, are you there?" Sarah spoke in a much more subdued tone than she had used before. She felt weighted down with dark emotions, envy one of the strongest, as she waited for her friends to appear from the one place she so wanted to be. Not even such a bleak mood, however, could stop sheer delight from bubbling up within her as the mirror cleared and she saw Sir Didymus and Ludo beaming back at her.

"Sarah!" howled Ludo, waving his massive paws in greeting.

"My Lady! What a pleasure indeed!" Sir Didymus chirped from on top of her bed, his smile so wide his eyes were little more than glittering slits.

Sarah greeted them both in turn, then felt her sour mood peak out as she took in Hoggle's absence.

Sir Didymus, spotting Sarah's quickly wilting smile and searching eyes, hurriedly explained.

"It would be best to mention, My Lady, that Hoggle has been called away by His Majesty—" He paused, checking Sarah's face for any sort of reaction, but pressed on when it revealed nothing. "—many hours ago. It seems someone has wished away yet another small tot." He glanced to the ground solemnly. "His return is surely fast approaching," he added lightly.

Sarah nodded glumly. If she couldn't return to the Underground she wanted to at least be able to see all of them. Sarah then grimaced, remembering all too clearly her own time with the king. "The Goblin King is torturing another poor soul is he?"

"It would seem so. Although, ever since you..." He stopped short and quickly backtracked, "For many years now Hoggle has become much more involved with his majesty. The king has even begun sending Hoggle to retrieve the people and bring them to the Labyrinth's start. Hoggle's been complaining that Jareth has almost no contact with those running the Labyrinth these days and that it's increasingly become his job alone to deal with those trying to win back their babies. I've also heard that the Labyrinth has grown excessively wild and gloomy within its walls, also that Jareth has become very unpleasant, err... more unpleasant to be around than usual..."

Sarah was only half listening as he rambled on, running her fingers over imperfections in the wood of her vanity table, her eyes out of focus as she remembered her own journey through the Labyrinth. Now, without the incessant terror of Toby being in danger, she fondly reminisced about all the characters she had run into: the sweet, inviting caterpillar, those goofy guards and the mischievous Fireys. Her mind strayed briefly to the Underground's tauntingly handsome, chillingly formidable King. She felt her stomach tighten as it filled with a surge of contradicting and confusing emotions.

Forcing herself back into the present with a deep sigh, she watched Ludo lumber around her room, exploring. It was then that she noticed the startling change in Sir Didymus's expression that had formed as he observed her weary state. He looked...defiant. As fierce as the first day they met when he was ferociously guarding his bridge.

While Sarah had been reminiscing, Sir Didymus hand scrutinized her expressive face as unchecked emotions flitted across. Taking in her forlorn longing, he gazed past Sarah and into her otherwise empty room. What was his dear Sarah doing all alone every time he saw her? She never even spoke of friends or family. He may not be able to see past the walls of this room but there was a tangible feeling of loneliness that clung to her like wet clothing. A decision snapped into place in his mind.

"Hoggle will be exceedingly angry with me for telling you this, but he is not seeing your face as it appears before me. Sarah, there is a way for you to once again join us here."

Sarah's attention spiked and Ludo turned his massive head to glance at the small fox before he resumed petting her stuffed animals.

"Although, with your safety in mind, I too hesitate to divulge the information."

"Sir Didymus, haven't I already proven that I can more than handle the Underground?" she said.

He nodded in pleased agreement. "You are still the lone winner of the Labyrinth." His gaze grew weary. "Except the Goblin King would steal you away in an instant if he found you here! Hiding will be no easy task," he warned, waving his arms around erratically. "We would, of course, fight valiantly to save you if your whereabouts were revealed but..."

"I know you would," Sarah interrupted gently, "but I have no intention of being found by that fey." She smiled in what she hoped was be a confidence inspiring way. The smile didn't fill her eyes until an excited grin cracked through Sir Didymus's worried expression.

"Well, as long as you understand what you are getting into I shall not protest!" he declared and scampered off of her bed to come stand next to her reflection's elbow. Only the yellow feather on his hat could be seen over the top. Standing on his toes to make himself taller, he began to stretch his arm towards his reflection.

"You must simply..." But he stopped and turned as the door to her room thumped open.

Twisting around with a gasp, Sarah expected to see Karen or Toby, but only saw her door still snugly in its frame. Turning back she spotted a grumpy, disheveled looking Hoggle shuffle in and her tension eased.

"I've been waiting for you." She grinned. She was so close to getting what she so desperately wanted that her previous anger towards Hoggle had been all but forgotten.

Hoggle's eyes widened and shot to her, surprised to see her. He had been sporting a frown when he entered but a goofy grin stretched across his face automatically at the sight of her. It stiffened abruptly however as he spotted Sir Didymus standing at her side, his face guilty and his arm stretched towards the mirror.

"Stop right there you no good fox!" Hoggle hollered as he launched forward and tugged Sir Didymus back by his collar and began dragging him towards the door.

Ludo was rocking from foot to foot in the background, looking confused by the commotion, a stuffed animal still clutched in his paws.

Sarah's temper flared as she panicked. "Hoggle don't do that! Stop being a bully, you're acting petty, like Jareth!"

That got him to stop, a look of surprise flashing across his face, but only for a moment. With a strained glance at her from over his shoulder, he swung the door back open and started pushing Sir Didymus, who was protesting loudly, out. Sarah felt tears fill her eyes as she watched them leaving yet again.

"Don't leave! I can handle going back I know it! I'm not the same silly, little girl anymore!"

Desperation again filling her as Hoggle began to disappear through the doorway; she jumped to her feet and brought the bottom of her clenched fist down onto the surface of the mirror in anger. Her body jerked backwards unexpectedly when her weight was not resisted by the mirror, but sank into its silvery surface. Pulling back until the tips of her fingers were again in view, she stood frozen. Hoggle was still too busy struggling to get the feisty Sir Didymus out the door to notice, but Ludo did. He grinned lopsidedly at her and made a motion for Sarah to keep moving forward.

"Sarah come." He hummed in a hushed, matter-of-fact way.

Feeling marginally less frightened now, she sat on top of her vanity and swiveled her legs delicately into her mirror to dangle on the other, unseen side.

Hesitating just before slipping her body all the way in, she thought momentarily of leaving Toby. While the boy had at one point been simply another annoying glitch in her life, she now doted on the precious blond with all her heart. He was, to her, the one person that cherished her as if she could do no wrong.

Shaking her head and forcefully dismissing the guilty thought from her mind which was a thunderstorm of swirling thoughts, she continued through the mirror as her guilt embedded itself deep into her subconscious.

As the last strands of her raven hair drifted past the mirror's silky surface, her family pulled into the driveway, a specially ordered, celebratory cake for Sarah sat snugly on Karen's lap as she beamed up at her step-daughter's window, anticipating her reaction.

On her desk, a cell phone buzzed as Erin called, eager to begin the adventures of their final summer completely free to spend together before moving into their separate futures. Unfortunately, Sarah had already left him behind.


	3. Welcome to the Valley of the Lost

Disclaimer: All characters from the movie are not mine.

Into the Underground

Welcome to the Valley of the Lost

ch 3

* * *

Sarah landed, none to gently, onto the plush carpet of her room, or at least a room that looked just like her's except backwards somehow. Like an image in a mirror. As she stood up she stared, taking in the sight of her hulking buddy Ludo as he stood before her for the first time in years. Breaking from her reverie she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around as much of him as she could manage.

"Oh Ludo! It's been too long!" she exclaimed, burying her face in his ginger fur. Sarah felt his massive paw gently pat her back.

"Sawah back," he greeted.

Sarah felt the words vibrate through his body as he spoke, and grinned, content. She heard a commotion coming from the door and lifted her head to take a peak.

In the doorway stood a dumbfounded Hoggle staring at her. Sir Didymus could be seen hopping around energetically as he whooped greetings of welcome to her from behind the shocked dwarf.

Sarah pulled away from Ludo to face Hoggle, worried when he continued to do nothing but stare. Finally he shuffled towards her, head down. Peaking up at her he smiled guiltily.

"While I still don't like the thought of ya here Sarah, I...I'm terribly glad you are," he mumbled. "Please don't be mad about me bein' so rude to ya earlier! I was doin' it for ya own good, promise!"

Sarah smiled warmly at him and pulled him to her, kissing his cheek. "You always seem to be doing things for my best interest Hoggle. I'm not mad, we're friends so I can't stay mad at you." As she stepped back she curtsied to Sir Didymus who had swept his hat off and bent over in a deep bow.

"So, where exactly am I?" she asked, examining the room.

Sir Didymus tugged on her finger and led her towards the window, pulling back the curtain. "We are situated in the Land of Junk, next to the Valley," he explained.

Miles of garbage stretched out before her eyes. Sarah gasped and backpedaled until the bed hit the back of her knees and forced her to sit. Suddenly she could smell the rotten stench she had been too busy to notice earlier seeping into the room and surrounding her.

"Ugh. How? I distinctly remember this room crumbling around me the last time I was here."

Hoggle answered, "Things in the land a' junk have a way of never really goin' away. Ludo was wanderin' out here one day and just found it, intact."

Nodding as she listened to his explanation, Sarah stood and moved to the door, cautiously pulling it open and peering outside. She was surprised to find that they were in fact on the very edge of the Land of Junk. Just ten feet away she could see the piles of trash slowly turn into solid ground sprouting grass. The grass grew thicker and greener the farther it stretched away from the stink of garbage. Even farther away she could see trees cropping up and turning into a forest and what looked like the rooftops of a village.

She turned to Hoggle who had come to stand behind her. "Who lives in the valley?" Surprise evident on her face and in her voice.

She hadn't known there were places in the Underground beyond what she had seen on her first trip. What she was seeing now confirmed what she had imagined, the Underground looked to be wonderful place past the Labyrinth.

"People like you and the children who weren't saved by them runnin' the Labyrinth. As well as some goblins, different from the kind you've seen, all of sorts a' creatures really, but mainly humans. Some call it the Valley of the Lost, but only rude stinkers say that."

Sarah couldn't help but cringe at the sad name.

"Also, you can't see it from here but beyond that hill is the land where the fey, Jareth's kind, live."

Sarah squinted, trying to peer past the slopping hill's tree tops to the land beyond.

"Humans don't go there, unless they work for a fey."

Sarah nodded and glanced to her right. Chills rushed over her skin as she spotted the Goblin King's castle and the Labyrinth encircling its cold towers. From the looks of it, Jareth had the castle situated as the hub of a wheel, with the different lands stretching out around him.

So that he can see everything around him she deduced. She was uncomfortable with the idea and shivered. For the first time she was really worrying about what would happen if he found her. Would he care? It seemed like such a long time ago, maybe he's forgotten, moved on. That seemed entirely possible, he must have had thousands of girls run his Labyrinth by now. She felt the slightest twinge in her gut, something in her didn't like the idea that he might have moved on.

Shoving the feeling away she strode out the door, climbing over junk towards the grassy land with Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus close behind. Once they were past the mounds of junk they walked steadily towards the tree line and Sarah began to breathe easier the father away they traveled.

Passing through the woods uneventfully they reached the edge of the village and Sarah hesitated. "Is just strolling into that place okay? I'm not exactly dressed like the locals, at least not if they dress anything like Jareth does."

"Well, you know I hadn't thought about that." The look on Hoggle's face reflected this realization.

"We will simply enter the village before hand, and retrieve clothes for our fair maiden," Sir Didymus offered.

Sarah beamed. "That's a wonderful idea."

In no time Sir Didymus had scrambled into the village and back with a simple deep, forest green dress and black slippers in tow. It seemed Jareth wasn't the only person in the Underground that dressed like they were in another century, and she supposed in a way they were.

Sighing she took the garment and strolled off to find somewhere to change, slipping out of everything but her undergarments then sliding into the dress. She tugged at the dress where the stiff sides of the bodice met the softer folds of the skirt and sleeves, uncomfortable in the unusual clothing even though it fit her surprisingly well. Stuffing her clothes into her shirt like a makeshift bag and putting on the slippers she returned to the group.

"Well?" Sarah twirled half-heartedly for the boys.

Sir Didymus clapped enthusiastically and Ludo smiled. "As exquisite as expected," Sir Didymus purred with satisfaction.

Sarah blushed at the overzealous praise. It was such a simple dress after all. She stowed her original clothes in a tree where she hoped to come back to them again if she needed to.

As they took the last few steps into the village, adrenaline raced through Sarah as she left behind the last relics she had from home. They pushed through the outskirts of the city and navigated through the winding alleys of the first few buildings. What she'd mistaken for a simple village from far away was more like a small, bustling city. The feel and look of the city was very different from the only other city she had seen in the Underground, the Goblin City. While the Goblin City had been all shades of gray and cold stone, this town radiated welcoming warmth. It proudly sported colors of the Earth, the deep browns of tree bark and burnt clay reds. Although the houses appeared to be made of the same stone used in the Goblin city, the owners had taken it upon themselves to wipe away the gray with various shades of red and brown mud. The streets were a hard packed mixture of the same material covering the buildings, making the houses look like they had risen from the Earth. The same way the Goblin City looked like it was carved from a mountain.

The group reached what had to be a main road and were soon surrounded by bustling people. Carts of food vendors lined the sides of the street and harassed looking people and creatures were at every stall, bartering for better prices. Sarah spotted children skipping through the crowds and a dog sniffing at dropped food. She spotted a goblin dressed in armor clanking down the street and grinned at the thought of such a small thing guarding a city packed with much bigger beings. She moved through the crowd distractedly, trying to see and learn as much as she could about these people. Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ludo followed close behind, letting Sarah do her thing.

She stumbled as something soft but solid ran into her legs. Steadying herself she saw the top of silvery gold head before it turned into the golden tan face of a young child. Sarah smiled down at the giggling girl who was holding an apple that she must have been chasing. The child stepped back and was scooped into the arms of a boy about Sarah's age. His skin was the same deep golden as the girls' and his sandy blond, loose curls shook as he laughed with the little girl.

"I'm sorry about my sister Mira, she never does look where she's going." He grinned apologetically, tugging on his sisters blond locks.

Sarah returned his infectious grin. "Oh, it's not a problem," she assured him, smiling at the little girl.

Mira giggled, then wriggled out of her brother's arm and took off past Sarah to chase a puppy. Her brother darted quickly after her. Sarah turned to watch him sprint away. When he turned and waved to her before disappearing around a corner she was struck by the thought that she'd never considered the Underground a place where she'd meet kids her own age. She felt a tug on her sleeve a moment later and looked into the sour face of Hoggle.

"If you're done ogling the mayor's son let's get moving. _I _don't enjoy being trampled by all these people," he grumbled and pushed past her.

"Mayor's son?" she questioned, following him. "It makes sense that there's a mayor I guess, but I always thought of Jareth as king of everyone, not just the goblins."

She saw Hoggle nod. "He is, but he don't do much with the people here, and even less now a' days. He jus' lets 'em live their lives. You'll find this hard ta believe but, here, Jareth is well liked."

He was right, Sarah found the concept bizarre. Jareth well liked? "But how?"

"Well," Hoggle explained as he led them down the street, "everyone here knows exactly how they came to be here and they don' hold grudges against Jareth. The way they see it, if they ended up here, wherever they came from wasn't so great if people could wish away babies so easily. Here, nobody's threatenin' their safety. Jareth has even given his word that all will be safe here, that's why the goblins are around."

Sarah nodded, surveying the happy people surrounding her with a new understanding. While the logic made some sense she still couldn't quite wrap her head around actually_ liking_ Jareth. Something inside her simply rejected the notion. Shaking the thought from her head her mind floated back to the attractive boy.

"What's his name? The mayor's son."

"Avery."

Hoggle led them to a building that looked like a tiny, dilapidated version of a New York brownstone, set snugly between a bookstore on one side and a home on the other.

He fumbled with the door before letting all but Ludo, who continued down the street with a wave, inside. Looking around, she saw from the small entry hall that a kitchen and dining area were to her left and a living area to her right. The hall didn't stretch very far ahead of her, maybe ten feet to the staircase that ran up the back wall. She followed Hoggle up the stairs, as she reached the top floor she was forced to hunch over to avoid bumping her head on the low ceiling. On this floor there were only two rooms. Hoggle told her that the first room was his and the second one was Sir Didymus' but that they'd move into the same room and she could have the one at the end of the hall, facing the street.

Sarah was just about to thank him when Sir Didymus called up the stairs that a message had arrived for Hoggle. Hoggle stumbled down the stairs and out of the house in a burst of speed, abandoning Sarah. When she finally arrived back on the first floor he was already gone.

She looked at Sir Didymus quizzically. "Where is he off to so fast?"

"Someone is running the Labyrinth as we speak, duty calls," he replied, slipping back into the kitchen.

Following him Sarah saw that he was busy cooking. Carefully settling into one of the child sized wooden chairs at the round table she felt a twinge of deja vu. The kitchen had the same layout as her kitchen back home. The large bay window overlooking the street sat right in front of the table, the counters and what looked a very old fashioned stove, where Sir Didymus was standing on a stool attacking food with a spoon, was directly behind that. Moving her chair to where she sat at home, she now faced the window with her back to the counters. After musing at how like a 'house wife' Sir Didymus was acting, she lost her self in thought until the beaming face of Ludo filled the entire window, sending a surprised Sarah reeling backwards out of her seat.

"Oh! Ludo you frightened me!" she exclaimed from the floor.

Ludo moved back from the window looking apologetic and Sir Didymus helped her up while chastising him. Sarah calmed Sir Didymus down and told him she would go out and explore more of the city with Ludo. After promising to be back before night fall and that she was looking forward to eating whatever he was cooking she escaped onto the street.

"Sawah alright?" Ludo asked, concern filling his voice.

"I'm more than alright Ludo! Not hurt at all," she assured him, tugging his arm to let him know she held no sour feelings towards him, and then started walking down the street.

They chatted while she tried to make a mental map of the city, a bakery here and a tailor there. She stopped when she saw a place called Floret's Flowers and a very long winded help wanted sign attached to the window. Realizing that she would need money and didn't want to mooch forever off of her friends, she decided to apply. She left Ludo to sniff the flowers lining the stores front while she went inside. Bells chimed as she pushed the door open and Sarah spotted an old man standing behind the counter, tending to a flower arrangement. He looked up at her over his half moon spectacles as she entered and smiled warmly at her.

"You must be here for the job. Am I right young lady? Most of my costumers are old women and young men after all," the man said, pulling off his gloves and motioning her to come closer.

Sarah felt herself warming to him already; his voice was pleasant, as soft and inviting as the scent of flowers surrounding her.

"Yes sir, I would love to work here if it's alright." she said, moving further into the shop.

"Well let me ask you some questions first…" his eyes roamed over flowers as he thought, the side of his mouth quirking up. "Are you any good at caring for flowers? They are pretty, but delicate things after all. I cannot hire a girl with harsh hands," he stated, eyes settling on her pale, soft hands. "Your face is sweet and your hands seem gentle, but have you any experience?"

"Um, well I did have a small garden at home, but it has been a few years since I tended it to be honest," she admitted guiltily.

When she looked at him she was surprised to find that the old man was grinning brightly. "Once learned, the art of flower tending cannot be forgotten so easily is what this old fella believes. You're hired miss."

Sarah's eyes widened at the easy acceptance and they grew larger when he disappeared under the counter. Popping up a moment later he brought her a cream colored apron and told her she could start tomorrow morning.

"Thank you so much sir!" She accepted the apron and clasped his wrinkled hand in gratitude.

His eyes twinkled, pleased. "You will make beautiful things here," he stated matter of fact, and patted her hand.

The confidence in his voice flowed into her, and she decided she would do just that.

It was a few hours later and Sarah was sitting with Sir Didymus, eating the surprisingly delicious stew he had whipped up. Sunlight was seeping from the sky as night approached and she was beginning to worry about when Hoggle would return.

"Sir Didymus," she said as she stirred her soup and stared out the window. "How long does Hoggle usually stay out when he's dealing with people from the Labyrinth?"

"Hours, sometimes a day or two, it all depends on how determined they are to finish or how quickly they give up. He's informed me that even though he was much less involved back then, when he took you through it was the longest he'd ever had to be in there," Sir Didymus informed. "Most give up so quickly after all."

Sarah felt her mood darkening at the thought of all those abandoned children, so she got up to wash her bowl, then turned back to Sir Didymus. "Don't you need to be at the Labyrinth too?"

"Not anymore, my lady. Ever since Hoggle was put into control he has made the bog of eternal stench off limits."

She simultaneously grinned and cringed she remembered the bog. What a nightmare that place was, she definitely agreed with the decision to close it. "What do you do all day then?"

"I patrol the city looking for any trouble makers," he growled as he imagined some hooligan or other he had run into. "Ludo often accompanies me. For some reason people seem to listen more when he is nearby." Sir Didymus's face showed how baffled he was by that fact.

Sarah suppressed a grin, Sir Didymus was still amusingly unaware of his pint sized body. Shaking her head she retreated upstairs to her new room. Sir Didymus had spent the hours she was out fixing it up for her. He'd gone into town and bought a human sized bed and had not only been able to put it together, but fix it up with a mattress and blankets. There was a small desk that, if she kneeled, she was the perfect size for. There was rudimentary electricity but at the moment she wanted a softer ambiance in the room. Lighting the few lamps scattered about she could see the walls were a pleasant white color and the floor had a worn, green rug. She laid on the bed arranging the stiff dress into a more comfortable position and looked up, the ceiling was startlingly closer than she was used to so she was forced to look to her side, past the window and into the star speckled sky. She would start work at Floret's Flowers bright and early tomorrow. Of all the things she thought she'd be doing in her first few days back in the Underground, working with flowers was not one of them.

If only Jareth knew that the only person to defeat him was a flower shop girl in the town next door. His favorite flower shop too.

What a pity.

* * *

a/n: Thank you to all the reviewers! You really make a girl want to keep writing!


	4. The Tavern Gang

Disclaimer: All characters from the movie are not mine.

The Tavern Gang

4

* * *

Sarah woke up the next morning feeling cranky and uncomfortable. Having slept in her old fashioned dress she could feel imprints of wrinkled fabric crisscrossing her skin. Sitting up, she adjusted the dress and promised herself to find something else to wear after work. At the thought of work she sprang out of bed, into her slippers and down stairs to the quaint bathroom tucked under the stairs.

Some minutes later, she stopped by the kitchen before heading out. Sir Didymus was already gone, protecting the city streets with Ludo she supposed. Hoggle, however, had an erratic work schedule, seeing as all he did was 'escort' people through the Labyrinth and keep the outer walls fairy free, so he was still home. She carefully settled into her tiny, childlike chair, she'd have to get herself a bigger one, and grabbed what looked like a purple apple from where Sir Didymus had left it for her. She bit into it and was pleased to find that it was nice and juicy, much like an apple, but had less tang and more sweetness than apples had. She looked over at Hoggle who was sitting to her left, eating a similar fruit and looking downright grumpy. Not wanting his dark mood to spread to her she kept their chat short and hurried out. She had been pleased yesterday to realize that Floret's Flowers was only a few blocks down the street from her house, no getting lost for her. Reaching the store front she could see Mr. Floret watching for her from behind the counter. Once he spotted her, he waved her in. Sarah put on the apron he had given her yesterday as she entered the store and approached the counter.

"Good morning sir!" she greeted happily.

"Good morning young lady, are you ready for your fist day?"

"Yes sir!"

"Enough of that, you can call me Mr. Floret like the rest of the city. I feel old enough without being called sir! You aren't from around here are you?" His gaze was steady on her face as he questioned her, the serious look in his eyes didn't mirror the lighthearted tone he held in his voice.

Sarah felt her heart begin to pump rapidly. This was the first time someone had called her out on her foreignness and she wasn't sure how to deal with it. She was unsure whether it was safe to admit being freshly from the Aboveground since she was sure most of their new arrivals were children, the news of a much older newcomer might draw attention from a certain king. Then how could she diffuse the situation?

"Um, I'm sorry... Mr. Floret, just, first day jitters I suppose," she offered lamely, ignoring the question entirely.

He chuckled, his eye twinkling. "I see."

Sarah was too busy sighing with relief to see that his eyes were laughing at her, a kind laugh, for he was a kind man, but laughing at her all the same. The look was gone once she had composed herself enough to look back into his eyes.

"Well, I guess you'd like to know what you'll be doing. For now you will simply be taking orders and filling the simpler ones, like bouquets. When you're more comfortable, I'll move you up to flower arranging. Later, once you have a better idea of the layout of the city you can deliver them." He winked mischievously at her, Sarah blushed.

She'd had him draw her a crude map the other day, another give away of her being new to the city.

He smiled and put his hand on her shoulder, leading her to the back workshop. "Let me teach you the basics."

An hour or so later after learning that this flower needs so much water and to put this flower next to that flower to make their colors pop, she was ready. Switching the sign on the door from closed to open she moved to sit behind the counter while Mr. Floret stayed in the back putting finishing touches on a rather whimsical flower arrangement someone had ordered.

The morning passed uneventfully, they had a steady stream of morning costumers, many engaging Sarah in conversation, often about how nice it was to see someone young helping old man Floret run the shop. She swore after the fifth costumer mentioned it that she could hear grumpy murmuring coming from the back room. The number of customers dwindled as the hour reached midday and they closed the shop for lunch. Mr. Floret told her she could go home but that she needed to be back in an hour.

Sarah ended up returning home, eating lunch and borrowing money from Hoggle, who was still home but less grumpy, to buy some things to wear. She purchased a burgundy dress with cream trimmings and elbow length sleeves. The dress was made of a much softer, more breathable material than her other dress and would be much more comfortable. She also purchased undergarments and a night dress.

She went back to the flower shop and had just relaxed behind the counter when none other than Avery, the Mayor's son, strolled in. Sarah sat straight backed behind the counter while she watched him browse. He chose some peach colored bush lily's before stepping up to the counter and finally noticing Sarah. He hesitated, a reaction Sarah had received from a lot od customers today. People were expecting to see an elderly man after all, but his face broke into a smile as he recognized her.

"You're the girl my sister bumped into yesterday right? Sorry about that, again."

She grinned. "Yeah, that was me. It's okay, really, kids will be kids."

"That's for sure," he chuckled. "So, are you from around here? I'm sure I would have seen you before now. I know all the kids here, but you." He bobbed a finger in her direction, eyes squinted in consideration. "I don't know you."

Sarah nodded vaguely, she knew she should have thought up an explanation for that stupid question. It kept coming up. She was saved from an awkward silence or having to answer the question when Mr. Floret appeared, distracting Avery.

"Mr. Floret! Good to see you old man! I thought maybe you'd given up the shop work when I saw that help wanted sign out front yesterday." Avery walked over to the man and shook his hand, leaving Sarah to ring up his purchase.

"Avery, nice of you to stop by! No, I'm not going anywhere and I hope you aren't pestering my new assistant, she's a lovely thing and I won't have you scare her off," Mr. Floret teased.

Avery returned to leaning on the counter in front of Sarah and winked impishly at her. "Wouldn't dream of it. I don't scare you do I Sarah?"

Smiling and shaking her head she offered him his wrapped lilies and accepted his money.

Losing the teasing smile he stood up straight and laughed. "I need to get on my way, so, thanks for putting up with me Sarah, bye ya old geezer." He saluted Mr. Floret and was about to step out of the shop when he paused to look back at Sarah. "Oh Sarah, if you'd like, a lot of us kids will be at the tavern tonight. You should come by and hang out with us."

Taken back at the surprise invitation but pleased, she accepted, "I'll be there."

"Great! Well, see you later." With a nod of his head he was gone.

Sarah stood in a stunned silence until a chuckle brought her back to the real world. She turned to Mr. Floret who was holding a large flower display that was ready for the window.

"How about you go on and head out. There aren't usually any costumers after lunch and I can see you have other things planned," he offered.

She beamed. "Only if it's really alright with you," she insisted, though she was already pulling off her apron.

"I'll see you bright and early tomorrow," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Sarah rushed from the store, the sounds of Mr. Floret's amused laughter following her out.

That evening Sarah was standing outside a glum looking tavern in her new burgundy dress. The place hadn't been hard to find. Apparently it was a notorious hang out for the local teens, so when she asked a passerby, they knew which tavern she meant right away.

She tugged at the massive oak door a few times before it gave way and she was able to heave it open and peer inside. It was murky and dark inside. The one window the place had was tinted dark maroon because of... something smudged to the glass. Stepping inside she was immediately surrounded with a sweet, heady smell so thick it was practically solid in her mouth. It looked like a regular bar on the inside and not nearly as gloomy as the outside promised. Weak lights hung from the chipped, white ceiling sending crazy, distorted shadows onto the floor. Small round tables spotted the room, the walls seemed to be made of wood behind all of the colorful fliers and posters tacked to it. The bar was on her left with a burly, young man with chin length dreadlocks watching her from behind it. His stare and raised eyebrow stopped her inspection, feeling embarrassed she shuffled over to ask him where Avery was.

She slid onto a wooden stool, it seemed everything in the place was heavy and wooden. "You wouldn't happen to know if Avery is here would you?" she asked the imposing barman.

He grinned and lost any touch of threatening his face had held a moment ago. "Had a feeling you'd be lookin' for that boy, seems every girl this side of town is. He's in the back, good luck reachin' him though." He snickered and moved off to help a costumer.

Sarah thanked him and moved in the direction he'd pointed, slightly confused by his words.

As she reached the back she realized that what had seemed like a hum from the front of the tavern was the roar of a chatting, giggling group of girls with a generous sprinkling of smirking boys converged around a few tiny tables chatting with each other. She somehow wasn't surprised to find Avery's golden head bobbing in the middle, it looked like lunch hour at a high school and Avery was Mr. Popularity. Not really wanting to shove through the mass of unknown people to get to him, and suddenly feeling very out of place and awkward she leaned on a nearby empty table and observed the group. The fashion trends sweeping the town were pretty obvious, what with almost every girl having wild flowers tucked somewhere onto their person and many up dos bundled on top of heads, with the exception of a flaming redhead whose hair seemed to be flowing wildly in a nonexistent wind around her shoulders.

The boys were more varied in their clothing choices, though fitted, cream breeches, calf covering boots and loose fitting, poet shirts seemed popular. It all struck her as very like a renaissance fair, she felt as if a jester would cart-wheel in at any moment selling replica 18th century bows and arrows. Her mind wandering, she sat quietly assessing their wardrobe for who knows how long before someone spotted her.

"Hey, who's that?" someone semi-whispered.

Then, just like a vacuum, the entire group slowly fell silent and turned to gaze at her. Feeling doubly uncomfortable now she stood and, not knowing whether to wave or curtsy, simply smiled. _This must be what it feels like to be the new kid in a small town. _

"Hey Sarah! There you are!" Avery shouted over the group as he moved through the sea of bodies towards her. "Hey everyone, this is Sarah and I think she's new to town so be nice!" he ordered playfully.

The crowd, as if shocked with and electric rod, was suddenly moving towards her in a tidal wave and Avery, who had finally reached the front of the group, was engulfed by the surging crowd and disappeared with a smirk.

"Hi! I'm Ellie.."

"It's so nice to meet you..."

"My name's..."

After what had to be half an hour of greetings she made her way to the tables everyone had originally been circling that now contained only a handful of people who had been hanging back, enjoying the spectacle of her terrifying mobbing. She spotted Avery's ever snickering face among the grins. Sarah glanced at the other faces around him and knew that, though she didn't remember a single name from all the introductions she'd just heard, but she didn't forget a face, and that these faces she had yet to meet.

The redhead from before was with him, her hair was wild and stunning, reaching just below her shoulder blades in foaming waves. An electric energy radiated from her, inviting and exciting. Her eyes were large and a bright honey brown. Her face was round and her creamy complexion was broken only by a light sprinkling of golden brown freckles. She wore a loose, flowing green dress that seemed to ripple around her. Next to her, with a dainty shoulder pressing into Avery's, perched a tiny blond girl that could easily have passed for a fey. Her hair was just slightly too blond to be called true silver, startlingly close to Jareth's, and was up in an elegantly messy bun. She was tiny next to the others in her powder blue dress, petite in every way. _If I didn't know any better I'd think I was seeing Tinker bell._

Then there was the stoic boy with the smooth, stone face lounging on Avery's left. He oozed nonchalance, or utter self confidence, she wasn't sure which. She hated to admit it but she found the boy both impressive and intimidating. His straight, coal black hair hung almost long enough to cover his eyes which, she noticed as they drilled into hers, were a piercing, surprising shade of ice blue. They were an almond shape with hooded eye lids.

Sarah felt herself blushing, she felt embarrassed but she reasoned with herself. _Who doesn't blush when a guy stares, whether he has a sculpted, Asian face with striking, Nordic eyes or not. _The boy was wearing tan breeches with onyx boots that reached the top of his knee and had a little extra leather to flop back over as well as a long, close fitted tunic that hung down to his upper thighs with a leather belt cinched around his hips.

A similar outfit could be seen on a brunette boy who smiled at her from under a mess of wild, brown, bed head hair with twinkling chocolate eyes and cinnamon skin. A definite nice guy, how could he not be with dimples like those. _Cuteness craters galore._ He looked like an excited little kid and he eyed at her as if she was an exciting new play thing.

She grinned back at him and the waif-like blond girl greeted her first.

"Hello Sarah, it's nice to meet you." Her voice was like a light tinkling of bells.

_How fitting_, Sarah mused.

The redhead rested her chin on the girls shoulder and winked at Sarah as a greeting. The rest went through their greetings amiably. The raven headed boy's name was Roland and the brunette was Jonis. The blond girl was Devon and the redhead Ashlen. After the quick introductions the group moved to sit around the table, instead of on it. Sarah sat with Ashlen to her right and Roland to her left. Devon sat next to Ashlen with Avery on her right and Jonis on his.

They chatted genially and Sarah now expertly talked around the subject of where she was from and how she'd gotten there. Though it didn't really make her feel any better since Avery was giving her a look that let her know that he was aware she'd evaded the question twice now.

The rest of the large group from earlier had broken into smaller groups and were scattered around the room at the tables surrounding them. Sarah thought she could feel the curious eyes of the others on her back, but when she turned to look they always seemed to be looking just past her. Eventually the onlookers started to trickle out of the tavern and soon she was left with just Avery and his friends.

"So Sarah," Ashlen questioned, "where are you staying?"

Sarah looked at her. "I live with friends near, um, Mr. Floret's."

Ashlen nodded and Jonis leaned towards her from across the table. "You work there right?"

"Yeah."

"Thought so, Avery said you did. That's cool, he's a neat old geezer that Mr. Floret. I would have helped him out in the shop but you know, I've already gotta job to do," he explained, splaying his fingers out and shrugging in an innocent 'what's a boy to do?' manner. Sarah grinned at him.

"Don't lie Jonis," floated Roland's mellow voice from her left, where he was leaning back in his seat with his arm resting on the back of Sarah's chair, "you're too busy chasing skirts to do either of those things." Roland eyed him, his eyes were grinning, though his face was blank, save for the slightest upturn at the edge of his mouth.

The rest of the table erupted into laughter, Jonis was unperturbed by the comment and joined in. The evening passed in much the same way. Sarah slowly became more at ease with her new friends as she felt herself slipping into a comfortable niche here in the Valley.

It was the next day and Sarah was happily humming as she bustled around the flower shop. Her mind was busy assessing what she'd accomplished in such a short time. She was already well on the road to building a life here. She had a job, friends and family. She swore Ludo, Hoggle and Sir Didymus were a better family than she'd had before. They were so attentive and caring. Other than a few heartaches when she thought of Toby, she was happier than she'd ever been. It was as she was musing over this that Mr. Floret exploded into the room, looking overjoyed.

"Sarah, I forgot to tell you that our best costumer is coming now to pick up his twice weekly flower arrangements and I need you to bring them all out here from the back, quick!"

Sarah dashed to the back room and helped him carry all of the wrapped vases into the front area. When they were done it looked like the tiled floor had sprouted into a flower garden.

Mr. Floret was leaning on the counter, whipping his forehead with a handkerchief. "Great job Sarah! Just in time too, I can see them coming now."

Sarah turned to follow his gaze out the window and was surprised to see Jonis and Roland coming up the street, hauling a cart between them. "Jonis and Roland are your best costumers Mr. Floret?" she asked, bemused.

"Oh no, not those troublemakers, or should I say troublemaker. Roland's never given me an ounce of trouble mind you, but a flower or two have gone missing whenever Jonis takes a lady friend out. No, they work for my best costumer and good friend, Jareth."

Sarah's mouth had gone bone dry, for she had spotted the man of both her most dazzling dreams and haunting nightmares at the exact moment Mr. Floret mentioned his name.

The Goblin King was gliding towards the shop, his silvery hair sparkling in the sun and his skin was smooth, pale and glowing. His face was a politely pleasant mask as he greeted the few people he passed. There he was, calm and cheerful as she had never seen him, and never thought she'd see him. Then here she was, lungs constricting and heart ready to explode.

_Am I sweating too? Not fair... and not good. No siree._

* * *

a/n: Thank you to all the reviewers! All reviews are _very _appreciated!


	5. A Garden for Secrets

A Garden for Secrets

5

* * *

Sarah could feel her palms starting to itch, and her stomach begin churning as she watched his gliding approach. She began to realize what a fool she'd been. In the years after her trek through the Labyrinth her memories had changed to comfort her without her realizing it. Memories of the Goblin King had been morphed. Her mind had made the thrilling, frightening man seem lackluster not just in his power, but in his beauty too. So that when she looked to those memories as they grew old, she was not fearful of his might. His striking face was not an overwhelming thing, though still stunning. He was simply the wicked Goblin King, and she the shinning child warrior. It was a laughable thought now. At the time, only every now and then would a sliver of truth peak out and send her heart racing, simply to be thrust back behind the pleasant lie.

No one likes to be reminded of their weaknesses. Sarah's old, petulant, fifteen year old self least of all. The false memories shattered now, the truth hidden behind those lies was breaking through as she watched him, as she shrank back from the pressure of newly remembered, overwhelming fear.

Her attention shifted as she spotted Jonis waving frantically, calling Roland's attention to both himself and Sarah. Jareth was, thankfully, turned away speaking with an elderly woman.

Sarah waved back tentatively, nerves making her tremble. She attempted to smile at the two. Jonis looked pleased but Roland's brow furrowed marginally.

They were getting closer and Sarah felt herself panicking. Her petrified shaking was only increasing and she couldn't let Mr. Floret and the boys see her like this. Hell, she couldn't let Jareth see her at all! Without a second to lose she bolted into the back room and shut the door.

"Sarah!" Mr. Floret called bewildered, "Are you all right?"

Sarah had her back pressed to the door and was breathing like she'd just sprint a marathon. "I'm fine Mr. Floret! Just... doing some inventory!" Sliding down the door she sat on the smooth, stone floor and hugged her knees to her chest, catching her breath. She wanted desperately to leave but some piece of her wouldn't let her, it felt like she was waiting for something. But what?

She heard them finally enter the shop. The door pressed to her back was thin so their voices were clear as they spoke.

"I swear I saw her! I mean, you _did_ see her too right?" Jonis frantically asked Roland.

Sarah could practically hear Jonis scratching his head in confusion and couldn't help but smile. She didn't hear Roland's voice so she assumed he answered non-verbally, which seemed very like him. What came next wiped the grin off her face. The bell on the door chimed as a third person entered, boots tapping the floor.

"These are magnificent Jardin! As they always are." Jareth's suave voice flooded the store and left Sarah drowning.

That's when it clicked, what the thing inside of her had been waiting for... his voice. Solid proof of his closeness, his existence. His true, brilliant self, not some dreamed up lie. Then, as if a dam had crumbled, Sarah could feel her body filling with swirls of messy emotions: passion, hate, fear, desire and so many more. She gripped herself tighter as if to stay afloat as they raged their way through her. In her heart of hearts she'd known he was real, but it had been so long, her lies so convincing. So many years spent trying to hide from fading, modified memories. Even when she made it to the Underground, even when she heard his name used, part of her felt like they were speaking of the imaginary version.

The sounds of chatter from the main room poked at Sarah's consciousness and eventually brought her back to the surface. She loosened her grip and sighed. She couldn't do this. He was just next door, too close to allow herself to be so dizzy and overpowered.

Sarah stood up, gripping the wall to make sure she didn't stumble, and paced. She couldn't go out there, that was obvious.

Since she had settled in the Underground, times when thoughts of him entered her mind had become rare things. But she was suddenly filled with the thought she'd had once before. Would he even remember her? Was she just one of many? Had his seduction been to distract her?

"Mr. Floret, have you seen Sarah?" came the calm, steady voice of Roland.

Sarah's whole body jerked when she heard him._ Roland! _She just couldn't figure why he'd chosen that moment to ask that. It wouldn't be until later that she would wonder why the seemingly detached boy had asked at all. After all, of the two boys Jonis seemed more likely. Roland gave the impression that he was, quite frankly, totally indifferent towards her.

Those thoughts were for later, however, right now Sarah was anxiously waiting for the answer. As well as Jareth's reaction.

She was disappointed though.

Jareth seemed to give no hint of recognition at her name as Mr. Floret answered. The sound of his clicking boots floated lazily around the room.

"She's around somewhere," came the nonchalant sound of Mr. Florets voice. The tone of it made her smile. He was helping her out, and he knew it.

Sarah pressed her body into the wall next to the door, her ear hovering near the crack. Her body was buzzing with anxiety that was intensified with every minute as she thought of all the dominoes that were being knocked over by this awkward situation. She'd have to explain this to Jonis and Roland, who had the added complication of apparently working with the enemy. Mr. Floret would probably question her odd behavior, then there were all the unseen dominoes toppling over. Those were the ones that worried her the most, after all, she didn't know what they would cause.

Eventually the scrapping sound of vases being lifted and brought outside ceased and silence emanated from the front. Sarah assumed everyone had gone outside and decided to peak out.

She could see the group hovering outside. Jonis and Roland were securing the vases to the cart with ropes and Mr. Floret was talking with Jareth, their backs turned. Feeling daring she crept to her stool behind the counter and rested her head on her folded arms, hiding behind the cash register. Peeking from behind it she studied Jareth. Watching him, real, solid before her eyes, sent electrifying thrills through her.

Soon the boys were done and waiting. The men had finished their conversation so the visiting group began pulling away from the store front, faint dust eddies trailing behind them.

With a wave, Mr. Floret turned and re-entered the shop, looking up to greet the newly reappeared Sarah, he was stopped by her faraway expression.

She was gazing intently out the window, a thoughtful expression creasing her face. He moved to lean on the counter across from her and twisted to follow her gaze, catching the tail end of the King's cart as it rumbled out of view. His lips pressed into a gentle smile as he turned back, moving in front of her and breaking the trance.

"Oh! Mr. Floret I'm sorry I didn't get back in time to help. I really meant to-" her words tumbled out as she rushed to explain herself.

Mr. Floret just nodded his head and chuckled, shushing her by resting his wrinkled hand on hers. "It's alright Sarah, it seems you're getting tired of being cooped up in here." She gave him an apologetic look, accepting the offered excuse easily. "I suppose it's time to send you out to the flower gardens to gather. How does that sound?"

Sarah's eyes widened. Her mind momentarily forgot the recent visitors as it flew to a color spotted, fragrant garden. She imagined spending her days there, picking through the beautiful masses, searching for only the most stunning to bring back.

Sarah smiled happily at the old man as she answered dreamily, "I would love that."

After lunch, Sarah had a beige cloth sack of gardening tools over her shoulder and was following a crude map Mr. Floret had given her that would lead her to the garden. Winding her way through the outer edges of the city she considered what he'd told her. The garden where the flowers grew was actually a private garden, though vast in its offerings. She was allowed to pick only flowers in summer colors, to mirror the current season. They would be roughly in the same section, but she was free to roam the entire garden. A list of flowers that were needed would be given to her in the afternoon and she was expected to bring them to the shop whenever she was finished, as long as she got them back soon enough to be arranged in the shop before opening in the morning.

Sarah reached the edge of town and found that on this side of town there was none of the forest that wrapped snugly around the part of the city to her right, or any of the rolling hills to her left, but a flat meadow that stretched ahead of her. She jogged to the gate of the picket fence, situated there more to mark the boundary than to keep anyone in or out, and entered the meadow.

As she made her way across, she spent most of her time gazing at the crisp, green grass and dainty wildflowers underneath her feet, or running her fingers through the small stream that snaked through the meadow. Those distractions diverted her attention from what she was approaching, until she was at its doorstep.

Looking up, surprised at the sudden end to the meadow, she froze. A worn, stone wall towered above her, forcing her gaze up and at what lay behind. The Goblin King's castle was there, though only the very top spires could be seen. It must have been far from the gate she stood at, but it was definitely closer than when she was in the city, closer than she would have liked. Goosebumps pricked her arms and she rubbed them to distract herself. Heart thudding, she noticed a door in the stone, its edges were so smooth only its handle gave its existence away. She leaned toward the door on her very tip toes and tugged at the wooden handle half-heartedly with her fingertips. Hoping it would stay put and give her a reason to sprint home as fast as she could. But that was not the case. Even the light touch she used was enough to cause the door to swing smoothly out, forcing her to continue through it.

She paused just past the entrance and took in the sight of the garden. It was like an elaborate color chart. Colors starting at deep and brilliant shades before their hues lightened to pastels, eventually bleeding into another color all together. The garden made the ground appear to be covered with a trembling, rainbow carpet. The flowers managed to not look like a flower farm, not as if they were planted in perfect, human made rows. They had the appearance of a natural flower bed, randomly placed, though the color scheme was obviously planned.

She glided forward on the small dirt path, feeling like a giddy, weightless cloud. She stopped under one of the many fruit trees, there were many spotting the garden, and sat on one of the few patches of lush grass. Her eyes followed the path she had been walking. It guided her eyes for what seemed like miles of flowers and fruit trees until it trickled into what looked like a small water fall which fed into pond that was surrounded in lush grass with large trees leaning over it, keeping it cool from the sun. Above that sat the cold, stone castle. It was a shame that it was within view, such an eyesore. Sarah felt a tug of longing to visit the little forest oasis but knew that it would take her awhile to build up the courage to get so close to the castle. Measuring the distance from the castle to where she sat she knew it was far walk, but she still felt too close. She sighed and shook her head, she seemed to always be too close to him today.

Standing and brushing dirt from her dress, she walked back towards the entrance where the flowers sporting summer colors grew.

_I can't believe He owns such a beautiful garden._

She searched the wall and saw that it circled only the garden before connecting to the castle.

_Impossible to see from the outside. Impossible to see from anywhere but the castle._

She shook her head and began picking flowers. Trying not to scratch her neck the few times it tingled, as if eyes were on her.

Sarah was seated at the small table in the kitchen, sipping a creamy soup Sir Didymus had made for dinner. It was early evening and Sarah's mind was still buzzing from her discovery of the garden and what lay beyond. She almost didn't notice Hoggle settle in the chair next to her until he spoke.

"How was ye'r day Sarah?"

"Yes Sarah," Sir Didymus pipped up, "I stopped by the shop to offer Ludo and my greetings but you were absent."

"Oh, Mr. Floret has me going to the garden to pick flowers now. I don't do much in the shop anymore."

Sir Didymus nodded but the skin around Hoggle's eyes tightened. "And what garden would that be?"

Sarah looked at Hoggle and was surprised by his frown. She hesitated to answer and in that moment realized he'd made the connection. There must not be very many gardens in the Underground.

"I think you know the one."

"Yes! How could you go there! It's so close ta him!"

"I know that now but I didn't before. What am I supposed to do about it?"

He sighed. "I dunno. Maybe, quit that job."

"I can't, I mean... I won't. I have nothing else to do all day and I won't stay in here and hide! That's not what I came here to do!"

"Do you want him to find ya Sarah? It'll only be easier fer 'im if ye'r right outside 'is door!"

"No but... I don't know Hoggle. I can't stay huddled in here. It'll be like I never left home."

Hoggle sighed, sympathetic but still worried. He was struggling to find a way to keep Sarah both happy and safe.

Sir Didymus tried to ease the tension. "I have heard that His Majesty no longer enters his fair gardens and that is the reason he travels all the way to Sir Floret for flower arrangements. Is this true?"

"Yea." Hoggle nodded.

"Then would it really be such a danger to Sarah if she is there? If he never visits those flowers then he will never see her."

Hoggle frowned but didn't argue.

Sarah laughed and clasped her hands together. "Then I'll continue as I am."

Hoggle's face showed his wariness but he nodded.

"Then all I have to worry about is Roland or Jonis spilling the beans. And they have no reason-"

"Roland and Jonis?" Hoggle questioned, bewildered.

Sarah nodded, curious about his peaked interest.

"You're friends with those hoodlums?" he yelled with surprising animosity. He huffed and stood to start pacing the room. "Of all the friends to make, ya befriend Jareth's chitchat-y assistant."

It was Sarah's turn to be bewildered. "You think they'll say something?"

"Unfortunately it won't take much provoking to get Jonis talkin'," he somberly affirmed, "He's a rascal joker too. Always botherin' me whenever he can," he added sourly.

Turmoil stirred within her as she imagined Jonis striding genially beside the King at this very moment, chatting with Roland, or even the King, about her. She _had_ performed a decidedly conversation worthy disappearing act. Sighing, she rested her forehead in her cupped hands. "Any advice?"

"'bout what? How to avoid a nasty revealin' to Jareth, or how to choose better friends!" he cried.

"Don't get so angry Hoggle, I didn't do any of this on purpose!" she warned, glaring.

He made a visible effort to settle down. " I s'pose ye'r right. Well, I ain't gonna say nothin' 'bout you bein' here to Jareth o' course, for both our sakes. But I don't know what them boys might say. This sure is a pickle we's in."

"Yeah, and it's rotting fast."

Sarah, Sir Didymus and Hoggle spent the rest of the day quietly worrying to themselves. Sarah offhandedly wondered about whoever had been running the Labyrinth the day before, but was too involved in her own problems to worry about someone else's.

Sarah fell asleep that night with a sinking feeling of dread permeating the air. She had a date with the gang tomorrow and the thought of facing Jonis and Roland was ulcer worthy. She'd find out if they had inadvertently raised the alarm or if she was still safe in the shadows.

* * *

a/n : Sorry for the wait! I was struggling with it for weeks and realized it needed a fresh start, so I had to rewrite it.

I'm a visual person so I might post some pictures that inspire me for certain parts of the chapters in my info. So look out for that if you like pictures the way I do! But if you want to keep it up to imagination, that's admirable too!

Thanks to all the reviewers!

hazlgrnlizzy – you kinda guessed right!

Ariadna- Thank you so much for the review! Capìtulo is Spanish for chapter isn't it! It's so close to Italian.

CoffeeKris – haha, definitely my most entertaining review ever! Thank you!

notwritten – thank you!

thetankgirl-thanks for the review! You kinda guessed right too.

Crystal Shores – Sorry! It was too good a place to cut of for me to ignore!

AerisSerris – Thanks! Hope you like this one too!


	6. And They Were Gone

And They Were Gone

6

* * *

Sarah's next day passed quickly and uneventfully, which was good since the girl was buried so deep in her thoughts that she wouldn't have noticed, even if something had happened. All too soon she found herself yet again stationed in front of the dreary tavern, but this time her hesitation was for an entirely different reason. Now she knew exactly what lay behind the door and she was still frightened, but avoid it she could not.

She found the group circled around the same table where she had first met them. Surprised she was to find they were even in the same seating arrangement as before, an empty chair waiting for her between Roland and Ashlen. While she was glad to have a seat already reserved for her, it also meant there was no way to avoid close proximity to Roland. She felt as if just nearness would propel him to question her about yesterday, and she wasn't sure she had a good enough excuse for her bizarre behavior. Before she could retreat to think, he spotted her. Instead of a customary greeting, he stood and pulled out her seat, nodding for her to sit. She quickly thanked him and obliged, searching his blank face for any emotion, finding none. After greeting everyone, the talking instantly launched into an excited discussion of Jonis' recent mishap, something involving sour milk and an unpleasant neighbor. Sarah happily forgot her worries and sank into the amusing conversation.

During the energetic chat she happened to glance at Roland to her left, whose right arm again rested on her chair back. She was startled to find that he wasn't paying attention to Jonis, his attention was on her. He didn't look away when she made eye contact, unnerving her. As their staring contest continued, Sarah realized that there was something bothering her other than his uncomfortable eye contact. Something was tugging at the back of her awareness as his face filled her vision. His compelling gaze boring into hers made her mind strain to remember, to show her something. Unfortunately, whatever image it was desperately attempting to bring to the forefront wasn't strong enough, and it faded back into nothingness with an after taste of déjà vu. She shook her head as the bizarre feeling settled down, promising to nag her for until she figured it out.

"Where were you when we got to the flower shop Sarah?" His smooth voice was so low she almost didn't hear it over Jonis' exuberant exclamations.

She leaned towards him with a quick glance at the others, who were too preoccupied to notice, desperate to keep the conversation she knew was coming between just the two of them. "I don't know what you mean," she whispered back innocently.

"I mean, you were inside while we were approaching, but missing the whole time we were inside." He leaned forward to mirror her. "That was strange and impossible. I didn't see you leave and there's no other way out. You weren't avoiding us were you?"

Her eyes flicked around as she fought not to squirm while she answered. "No, I had gone to the backroom to get other orders ready for pick-up." She was only able to look him in the eyes after she'd spewed her lie.

His gaze searched her face. "We were there for awhile Sarah," he chided gently.

Sarah just nodded, suddenly feeling trapped by his arm on her chair.

Roland leaned back into his seat, pulling his arm away. The curiosity seeped from his eyes, leaving them blank again. Now she knew his mind did not mimic his eyes, whatever he was thinking back there was hiding behind that unsettling transformation.

"Alright." His voice was empty.

Sarah settled back into her own chair, on edge. She looked up and met eyes with Avery who tipped his head to one side curiously. She simply smiled weakly and shrugged. The conversation had progressed while she was distracted, onto the topic of the king's castle. Realizing she had just missed the end of something interesting, she spoke up impulsively.

"You work with the goblin king right?"

Jonis looked at her, surprised by the interruption, but happily took up the new topic. "Yeah! I didn't tell you? Both Roland and I do, we have been for a few years now. We don't really do much, just errands, keep the king company and all. Pretty cool huh?" He waggled his eyebrows at her. "Working with the king, makes us pretty important people in town I'd say."

"You and only you'd say," Ashlen chimed in.

Jonis didn't even blink. "Just jealous of all the connections I've got, some people. Hey, you haven't met the king yet have you? I could bring you to meet him! He's cool for a fey, and likes to know everyone in town. I don't know anyone that doesn't like visiting the king. He doesn't come to town much but when he does he practically gets mobbed-"

Jonis continued listing all the things the town's people do when the king visits, unaware of Sarah's stiff posture. Sarah, in turn, was unaware of Roland's returned gaze to her face.

"That's actually a good idea Jonis!" Avery suddenly blurted.

Sarah turned to him, frowning.

"Everyone in town meets him when they join the Underground community. They're all usually babies..." he paused, glancing to Roland before continuing, "most of the time. But tradition is tradition. I'll talk to my father and have him arrange the meeting."

Jonis was nodding happily; glad something he suggested was actually being done.

"No, that's alright. I'm sure he's a busy man," Sarah protested.

Avery dismissed the argument with a wave of his hand. "Nonsense, I'll come with you if you're nervous," he offered.

"Me too," added Roland nonchalantly.

Soon everyone had added themselves to the list of those attending, which left Sarah unable to protest without seeming unreasonable and unfriendly. At least it was easy to pass her fears off as nerves about meeting the King.

Avery quickly left, whisking Devon away with him, to arrange the get together with his father. Sarah felt bad for the twinge of regret she felt for making his acquaintance on that first day, but it was there. She was feeling backed into a corner as everyone left the tavern, Jonis and Ashlen excitedly planning their trip. Ashlen had her elbow hooked around Sarah's and was excitedly squeezing her hand whenever she had an extra burst of enthusiasm. Sarah was trying to think of a way to politely take her hand back when Roland saved her.

"Why don't you two go see how Avery is doing with his father? If his father doesn't approve, than all this planning is useless."

Jonis stopped dead, looking appalled, and Ashlen laughed. "You're right. Come Jonis, let's see what the big man says."

Sarah was absentmindedly flexing her fingers as she watched them hurry away when she felt a light touch on her shoulder, making her jump.

"Sorry," Roland apologized softly. "You don't want to go with them?"

"No, I...no."

Roland nodded and stood silently next to her. Realizing he was waiting for her to move so she started to walk aimlessly forward. She found that he was pleasantly self-contained, and she wondered how he could stand being with Jonis and Avery, who were so exhaustively sociable.

"Roland?"

"Hmm?"

"What's the king like?"

"He is a good, fair man that does all-."

"Hmph." Sarah couldn't stop herself.

Roland frowned down at her. "You disagree?"

Sarah quickly explained herself. "No, it's just that, he has all these people hostage here. How is that a sign of a good and fair man?"

"Hostage?" His frown deepened, eyebrows furrowing. "I have lived here for eleven years and never met anyone that said they felt like a hostage."

"Well of course you haven't Roland! You live here so you've become desensitized. It's always impossible to see your own situation. Just think about it for a second. He takes kids and then makes their loved ones attempt impossible tasks to get them back! He's setting them up for failure. Why? Why does he do it? Not for anyone else's well being that's for sure."

"How do you know it's not for their own good? What kind of family wishes away a child after all? Not one that deserves to have a child, surely. Isn't their failure to retrieve the child just more solid proof that they do not deserve it? It seems fair to me."

"Fair! That's not fair! He has no right to take the child in the first place!" Sarah was practically yelling at him now. They had stopped walking and were standing in the middle of a crowded street. Passersby were giving them a wide birth.

Roland glanced around them before snatching Sarah's arm and leading her around the corner and onto a doorstep. He let her go as he fished around in his pocket. He pulled out a key and unlocked the door, storming inside.

Sarah stood just outside the open door for a few moments in shock, wondering whether she should go in or turn tail and run. Looking back to the street she meet many curious faces and, cheeks tinged pink in embarrassment, followed him inside. The interior of what she assumed was Roland's house was sparse and lacking color. The floor plan was the same as Hoggle's and she assumed most houses here probably were. Roland had gone straight into his kitchen and was leaning on the counter, head hanging down.

"I'm sorry Sarah, I didn't mean to get so worked up. I just...I want you to understand."

"Understand what?"

"Jareth... It's true that he does all those things, but he isn't the bad guy, his motives aren't evil" He lifted his head and shook out his hair as he turned to her, resting his hip to the counter. "Think about it, if there weren't people in this world willing to wish away others, than Jareth would never take them. He doesn't make anyone wish children away and people do not wish away children because he exists to take them."

His face was pleading now, aching for her to understand. Sarah had to fight to do it, but she kept eye contact with him. There was a pain in his eyes that seared through every line in his face; it burned her throat to see it. She couldn't figure out where all this emotion was coming from.

"You have to understand who the real bad guy is, and that it's not Jareth. If you really think that way, then you need to know that the children are not the only 'hostages', as you call them, in this situation."

Sarah nodded and tried to make her face look understanding, though she didn't truly comprehend what he was trying to explain. She couldn't fathom why he felt so strongly for the king, but she could respect his feelings if it meant she didn't have to see that look on his handsome face ever again. So she'd pretend.

He sighed and looked out the window. The evening's dimming sun seemed to cast its shinning rays straight into his eyes, making their color shimmer through the pools of moisture trying to stay put there.

Sarah had no idea what to do, partly because she didn't know what she'd said wrong, and partly because she wasn't good with people who were so obviously suffering. So she left. She walked down the street and as soon as she was around the corner and out of the view of his window, she ran. She continued non-stop all the way home, spurred on by her scalding guilt and tormenting confusion. She collapsed onto the safe haven of her bed and curled into a ball, squeezing herself tight to keep what she was feeling about everything that was going wrong from spreading through her entire body and poisoning her. She fell asleep in the same position.

.

When she woke she was still curled into a ball. She carefully stretched out her tingling muscles and wondered why she'd woken up so early; the sun hadn't totally risen yet. Before she could have a clear thought, she heard a knock on the door. Leaning over the foot of the bed, she yanked the door open and found Hoggle standing on the other side.

"Message for you," he grumbled, tossing a piece of paper at her before disappearing down the hall.

Sarah closed her door and picked up the paper that had landed in her lap.

_We've received permission to visit the king's castle today._

_I'll come pick you up and we shall meet the others at the tavern._

_Also, Mr. Floret has been told where you're going and will not expect you today._

_Roland Coeur_

Sarah tossed it onto her desk and rushing to get ready. At some point she'd accepted her fate and wanted to look good today; to go out with a bang. Sarah was clean and her belly full when she returned to her room, a towel around her shoulders was soaking up the water from her dripping hair. She plucked the letter back up and was going to press it into a ball in frustration at the situation when she hesitated and opened it again. Her thumb ran over the letters as she walked over to her open window to sit on the sill so the wind could dry her hair.

Roland's first and last name were written neatly at the bottom of the note. It had made her wonder, where do names come from in the Underground? Are they carried over from the Aboveground? Or are they chosen after the child has become a permanent resident, a citizen of the Underground? She realized she'd been here for a week exactly and yet knew so little about the workings of life here, and now it could be too late, she might never come back to this city. She might never leave the castle once she went in, she was a trespasser here after all. Sarah realized she was breathing too fast, so she calmed herself by gazing out the window at the few people passing below. She spotted Roland coming around the corner and went to meet him.

Sarah sat outside of the deserted tavern with Ashlen. Avery had run off a few minutes ago when he realized he'd forgotten to send a wake-up call to Jonis. There were horses by a carriage across the street. Sarah was told it would be their ride to the castle. Devon was stroking the horses and Roland was securing straps to their backs. Ashlen was running fingers through her wild hair and slouching slightly with her eyes closed as she recounted tales of previous visits to the king for Sarah's entertainment. While she listened half heartedly, Sarah suddenly recalled her questions from earlier.

"Ashlen, what's your full name?" she asked offhandedly.

"Ashlen Thine."

"I don't know how old you were when you came here, or if you remember at all, but was that your name from birth? Or was it given to you here?"

Ashlen stopped combing her hair with her fingers and looked at Sarah curiously.

Sarah had a moment to realize that the question probably sounded odd. Since she was here, shouldn't she know? Luckily, she didn't have long to regret the question.

"Ashlen Thine is the name I was born with Aboveground. Kids born in the Underground have just the name they were given at birth, of course. Like, Avery was born Avery Mason, and has always been Avery Mason. It's the same with Devon, whose last name is Alva, and Jonis is Jonis Diverta. They were all born here." Ashlen looked to Sarah, making sure she was following.

Sarah nodded her on.

"Those brought from Aboveground keep their names until they're older. When they're old enough to understand their situation, they choose to either keep their birth names, take on the name of the person or family that's adopted them, or create one themselves."

"Like Roland?"

"Huh?"

"You didn't say Roland was born here."

"No, he's from Aboveground, like you and me. But he didn't keep his birth name like I did," her voice faded off and her face grew forlorn.

Sarah couldn't understand why Roland not keeping his birth name was having this affect on Ashlen, and was about to change subjects when Ashlen started talking again.

"Roland was eight when he came here. He was the oldest person to ever start living here, until you anyways." Ashlen paused and her eyes found Roland. "Roland, well I actually don't know his birth name. I think only Avery knows, but by the time I met him he'd changed it and-"

Their conversation was interrupted as Avery and Jonis stumbled to a stop in front of them. Avery was smiling apologetically and Jonis was smacking his cheeks weakly, trying to fully wake up. Ashlen took the opportunity to jump up and start scolding Jonis for sleeping in as the two ambled towards the carriage, bickering lightheartedly.

Avery held a hand to help Sarah up, shaking his head. "She really should be scolding me, but she never misses a chance to harass Jonis."

They piled into the carriage. Ashlen, still scolding, was sitting next to Jonis, whose head was drooping closer and closer to her shoulder every second, his eyes lidded. Roland was driving with Avery accompanying him, which left Sarah and Devon sharing the last seat. With a lurch they began moving. Sarah had always wanted to ride in a horse drawn carriage. Whenever she saw them lining the street in the heavily tourist traveled part of the city, it would set her thinking about stepping in and going for a ride, though she never did give in to the desire. Now she wasn't sure that was a bad thing. Her whole body vibrated uncomfortably, and her inner ear started itching. She did manage to keep her face from grimacing during the entire, thankfully short, ride. She couldn't imagine how Jonis had managed to sleep the whole time.

When she stepped out she was taken aback to find herself standing at the base of the stairs that led to the castle door. She was also surprised to find that the wall hugging either side of the stairs had none of the spiny outcroppings it did the first time she'd seen it. It was also pleasantly free of any spear wielding goblin guards. Looking to her sides she saw the familiar drab, gray goblin city, just as she remembered it. Only this time, the streets were just as busy as the ones in the Valley. Goblin children were chasing chickens, goblin women selling foodstuffs and nick-knacks. Sarah wasn't sure what to make of the drastic change, but it was a pleasant sight.

Feeling a tug at her sleeve she turned to find Ashlen grinning in amusement and trying to lead her after the others, who were already climbing the stairs. Sarah returned the smile and they jogged to catch up.

The double door loomed above them. The iron was spattered with so much dust Sarah wondered if it was even possible to open it. So when a group of stout looking goblin soldiers appeared beside her, to push at the door, she was blown away as she watched the door swinging effortlessly forward. Once the door was wide enough to let them pass, they entered. The others kept walking forward but Sarah stopped and turned to watch the goblins grab huge chains that were connected to the door, and pull it closed. She suddenly felt trapped; nerves tingled through her tight muscles as she followed the others deep into the lion's den. As they continued down a long hallway, Sarah finally started paying attention to where they were going and what was around her. She was astounded at what she saw. The stonewalls were smooth and a matte, cream color. The floors were a reflective, silver laced, white marble. The overall effect made her feel like she was walking through a princess's expensive music box modeled after some fairytale castle.

Too soon they came to the entrance of what had to be the throne room. Sarah leaned to the side to peer around Avery, who was standing in front of her. It was the throne room all right, but so different than she remembered that she almost toppled over in surprise. There was cream-colored cloth draped over the walls. It rippled in a breeze from the window making the room seem like it was a soft, fluttery cloud. The throne on its dais was larger and softer looking then it used to be. It was still the familiar horseshoe shape and based on what she could see of it, it seemed to be carved of marble. The whole piece was draped in a richer version of the cream colored cloth on the walls. The scoop of the seat had a single large, dark gray cushion.

Her view was obscured by Avery's back as he moved into the room, soon followed by the others. Sarah trailed after them and was suddenly aware that the room was not empty, as it had first appeared. Standing off to one side of the throne was the Goblin King. Déjà vu hit her as she took in his outfit; gray breeches tucked into knee high, black boots. On his torso a flowy white shirt under a worn brown leather jacket that stopped at his waist. He looked almost the same as he had just before he'd sent the cleaners after her. The memory brought a bitter taste to the back of her throat.

The welcoming smile that graced his beautiful face confused her mind. The bad memories hit a wall of the warm, welcoming aura that exuded from him. Her mind screamed he was dangerous, while still wanting to be near him. The others were calling excited greetings to him and waving. Sarah ducked behind the taller boys whenever his gaze swept her way. She was trying to collect herself, wanting to show a strong front when she finally had to face him, but she was having a hard time concentrating. There was simply too much to take in, too many new, confusing things mixed in with old, horrific memories. Her senses were overloaded and letting her know it.

Suddenly she bumped into Avery's broad back. Apparently the group had collectively stopped walking without her noticing. She felt a hand on her elbow steadying her and she looked up just in time to see Avery turning back to face forward, his hands by his side. It was Roland to her right who's hand was supporting her. Nodding her thanks she turned back to peek over Avery's shoulder as the Goblin King began speaking.

"Welcome my friends, including our newcomer." His cultured voice made her gut clench. "I open my castle to you as my guest. From what I've been told you've been here for a while now. I am very curious to know how you managed to travel here without my knowledge."

He moved around the dip in the floor as he spoke, gliding closer towards them. Finally he stopped, just in front of the group. His powder blue eye and the warm, cerulean blue one smoothing over their faces. She slid behind Avery just as his gaze reached her.

"A shy one is she?" He chuckled.

Roland's grip, which she realized had never left her elbow, smoothed up and down her upper arm. "Come on Sarah," he whispered so that only she could hear, "remember what I said about him not being the monster." He gently pushed her forward.

Sarah had to put her hand on Avery's back to keep from running into him, and he moved aside. It was as everyone moved to frame her that she made her decision. She had to be strong, angry, mean, anything but a scared and timid thing. Her shoulders squared and her back straightened, her fists clenched and lips pursed as she rose to face him with a defiant stance.

His face froze instantly, other than his smile tightening marginally and eyebrows rising slightly, she could hardly tell he'd recognized her.

"Sarah," he breathed. He stepped forward suddenly and she had to fight from wilting backwards. Jonis, somewhere to her left, had sprung into telling the story of how they'd met her.

Sarah wasn't listening; she was too busy watching the goblin king's face transform with each new emotion. His face was curious at the moment, an eyebrow quirked skyward as he listened to Jonis, his eyes drinking in her appearance.

Ashlen came up behind her to wrap her arms around Sarah's waist and rest her cheek against Sarah's as she took up the story. In a distant, hazy thought she noticed that Ashlen's chaotic hair was tickling her ear. Roland's still soothing hand on her arm brought back her sense of hearing just in time to catch Ashlen's closing remark.

"...we don't actually know anything about her life from Aboveground," she finished.

Jareth nodded, his face had settled into a cold, blank mask. He'd dropped the act of pleasant host. "There's food for everyone in the dining hall, you all may go ahead and settle yourselves in there. I would like to have a chance to... get to know our newest citizen myself."

The others immediately started moving towards what must be the direction of the dining hall. Ashlen squeezed her waist, as if staying behind was a thrilling treat. Sarah watched them go, sadly. Would she see them again? Once their chatter disappeared down the hall, Jareth began walking in slow circles around her. His boots making a rhythmic, thump... thump, against the floor. He was eerily silent, not what she had expected, and the tension was eating at her. The soft whooshing sounds of the wall drapery buzzed in her ears and a muted rustling from the hallway momentarily distracted her. As he made his third pass in front of her she broke the silence.

"So, you remember me," she stated.

"Oh Sarah," he scolded lightly, "as if I could ever forget you."

It was teasing and clearly meant as an insult, but Sarah couldn't help the relief that bloomed in the pit of her stomach.

"You were such a brat," he hissed into her ear from behind.

She spun around to face him. "No one has called me a brat in years."

"Haven't they?" he asked, amused. An entertained grin spread across his face.

"It's been three years since you met me. I'm a different person now."

"Are you?"

"Yes!" she hissed.

He finally stopped pacing and stood in front of her. "How did you get here?"

Sarah was so surprised by the change in subject that she forgot to be angry for a second. "What?"

"As amusing as your need for my acknowledgment of your personal growth is, I really do not care."

And just like that, her anger returned.

"I want to know how you got here...and why."

"I got in by..." She stopped, considering the effect her confession might have on Sir Didymus and Hoggle. She couldn't let anything happen to them, so she lied. "...accident. I was thinking about the Labyrinth one day, wanting to see my friends and, um, happened to trip and fall into my mirror and landed here."

"So that's all it took," he whispered, more to himself than to her. He strode over and swung himself onto his throne as he asked her his next question, "Then who have you been living with Sarah? Surely you haven't been living on the streets?" he teased.

She shook her head sharply. "I live with Hoggle."

She left out Sir Didymus' name, not wanting to bring him up. If the goblin king was going to get angry at them for helping her, she wanted to give him as few people to be angry at as possible.

He nodded. Then, quite suddenly and very unexpectedly, he threw back his head, his silvery gold hair swirling, and laughed throatily. He effortlessly untangled himself from the throne and chuckled his way to Sarah's side. Leaning his head down so that his lips hovered by her ear, his breath tickling it. She swayed slightly, overwhelmed by the sensation.

"You know what this means, don't you Sarah?" His fingers ran through her hair, pulling it over her shoulder and out of the way.

Sarah was breathing heavily. His scent filled her nose, and then rushed out, again and again, penetrating all of her senses and imprinting itself in her mind; his rich, intoxicating scent.

"You're mine."

* * *

a/n: Thank you all who bother to read my story. Extra thanks to those who review! I appreciate it so much. This is my longest chapter so far! I finally got over the six page hump. I was disappointed to realize I couldn't use any fancy fonts! I had cool ones chosen for everyone's handwriting styles, they even reflected their personalities. Oh well, I guess only I'll ever know what Roland's handwriting looks like.

R&R!


	7. The Castle Beyond the Goblin City

The Castle Beyond the Goblin City

7

* * *

Sarah's breath caught in her throat. "What?"

"Come now Sarah," Jareth soothed, straightening from his bent position. "What did you expect would happen when you came back?"

She was shaking her head, eyes shut tight.

"You will stay here now."

She froze and tried to steady her breathing. In through nose, out through mouth. In... and out.

He paced in front of her. "I'll have Roland and Jonis bring your things here."

In... and out. "No."

"Pardon?" He sounded like he'd been waiting for her to protest and was thrilled that she finally had.

In... and out.

"I won."

"No."

"Yes! You can't do this because... because I won. I...I fought my way here, through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered. I-"

"You've lost Sarah," he chided, "not then, but now. The moment you stepped foot back into my kingdom. You forfeit your original winnings."

In...she sucked in a gust of air. "No."

"I'm afraid so Sarah." There was pity lurking behind the blank mask that was his face. "Your choice was your brother or your dreams and desires. In simpler terms, you could have the Aboveground or Underground, Toby or... those pathetic creatures you call your friends." His hesitation made her feel like squirming. Did he know something of her feelings, of what or who drew her to this world? "You cannot have both."

"Toby then?"

"He is safe and will never again know this world, as you will never again know his."

The sense in his explanation pounded into her but she stubbornly fought back. You can't lose once a game's been won, right? The last quarter had been played, the final buzzer had sounded and she had come out victorious. But now she was being told there was a clause in the rulebook that could tear it all down. All this time she had fretted over the loss of Ashlen and Hoggle if she was found, all the people around her in the Valley, but now she realized that all this time, in the back of her mind she'd always thought that if things became too dangerous, she could just return home. But now she could see that she was wrong. She was so wrong, and she was so stupid. She clutched her chest as her insides fought. Her rational side knew she was trapped, she was clever and her mind sharp, she'd understood what he'd said, but her irrational side wanted to run or fight or scream. She opened her mouth to scream at him but all that escaped was air, and even that was barely coming out.

He watched her struggle with herself for a few moments more, face cold and betraying no emotion, then he disappeared down the hall.

.

Sarah didn't know how long she'd slept. At some point during her fit she'd slid down into the round sunken part of the floor that was covered in cushions, and had cried herself to sleep. Looking around she saw that the sun was setting; the room was now a pallet of reds and oranges. Getting to her knees she waded through pillows to sit on the edge of the pit and tugged at the material of her dress, which had ridden up while she'd slept.

"Hungry?"

She jerked and spun to look behind her, where Jareth was lounging in the scoop of his throne, his eyes roaming everywhere but her rumpled form. Her eyes dropped to his feet, unable to sustain eye contact, and simply nodded after she found that she couldn't force words from her own mouth.

He walked to the door and vanished down the hall. Sarah scrambled up and after him, though she couldn't quite keep up with his long strides. Up a flight of stairs and down a bright torch lit hallway. They stopped at the entrance to a room. Jareth was leaning on the wall next to the door, his hand on the door handle, waiting for her. Once she'd joined him he pushed the door open and motioned her inside. She crept past him hesitantly and went in. It was large bedroom, decorated much the same way as the throne room, with shimmering, elegant cloth coverings on the walls, a large wooden four-poster bed sat between two massive glassless windows. A vanity with a mirror sat to the right wall and the wall to her left had another door.

"Your room," he stated simply.

He glided around the room as he spoke. Running long, slim fingers over the edge of the vanity or rubbing the cloth hanging from the bedposts between his fingers. "Food will be brought up shortly; your things are already in the vanity. Meals are usually eaten in the dining hall but considering your… mood, you can eat in here tonight." He strode towards the door and lingered for a moment, eyes gazing unseeingly out into the hall. "It really is not such a cruel thing to be here." And he was gone.

Sarah spent the next few minutes exploring her new room, her depression diverted slightly by the beauty of the room. The cloth draped on the walls and bed was as silken soft as it looked. The drawers in the dark, wood vanity really were filled with her few possessions. She found that the door to the left led to a bathroom. When she happened to look out of one of the windows she was pleased to find her room overlooked the rainbow garden.

Eventually she heard a tap at the door and crossed the room to yank it open, revealing a short, plump and rather green goblin woman, whose arms were wrapped around the sides of a large platter. Sarah quickly stumbled out of the woman's path as she shuffled briskly into the room with a 'pardon miss' to set the platter onto Sarah's bed, then turn to vanish into the bathroom.

Sarah stood still for a startled moment before settling onto the bed to pick at the many cheeses and breads on the platter as she listened to the sound of running water in the bathroom.

The woman reappeared a moment later, scurrying to light two gas lamps and many candles that were artfully scattered around the room. She then moved to the windows to pull the wall coverings over their gaping openings. She eventually couldn't find anything else that needed doing and turned to appraise Sarah.

"You's dat girl ev'ryone be talkin' 'bout?" The woman spoke as quickly as she worked, the words rushing out.

Sarah just stared back blankly.

"You's Sarah?"

She nodded.

"Yep, yep, yep, you's her. Why you's here again?"

Sarah opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out, so she settled with shaking her head solemnly.

"Uh-huh...Well, I welcome ya." And the woman curtsied grandly. It looked like something someone had told her to do, and said was an important thing to do, but not how to do it right. Her nose barely missed the floor as she threw her torso forward violently.

Sarah's lips twinged in an almost grin as she slipped off of the bed to perform her own, simpler curtsy. "Thank you... um, what's your name?

"Peggy, miss."

"Peggy."

Peggy nodded absently. "When you's done wit dat I'll be takin' it back to de kitchen wit me."

Sarah quickly ate what was on the platter and waved as Peggy scooted out of her room.

Venturing into the bathroom to see what Peggy had been up to, she found that the circular, raised tub had been filled with water. There were beige towels of various sizes sitting on a platform off to the side. Dipping her hand into the tub, warm water tickled through her fingers. Shivers of pleasure ran up her arm and through her body. She stripped and climbed the steps that hugged the outer edge of the tub to stand on the platform where the towels sat. She settled next to them and swung her legs into the tepid water, sitting motionless for a moment before sliding into the deep pool. She soaked and washed for what had to be hours before drying off and searching for something to wear to bed. Finding her nightgown in a drawer she changed and sank into the luscious bed. Finally settled, she let her mind wander to her predicament. Trying to think rationally she reasoned that the Goblin King must be willing to compromise somewhere. If he wasn't, she'd simply make him. That defiant decision drifted away as she fell asleep.

.

She woke the next morning to someone tugging the covers off of her. Opening her eyes she saw Peggy pulling and wrestling with them. When the woman saw that she'd woken, she curtsied, disappearing from view for a moment, then popped back into sight.

"Mornin' miss. I come to get ya ta breakfast. Scoot outta bed and inna' ya dress miss."

Peggy then led Sarah through the hall and down the flight of stairs she had climbed the day before. Then they turned right and straight into the dining hall. Instead of leading her to the long table in the middle of the room, Peggy turned right again, into the kitchen.

Inside, there was a bustling crowd of goblins everywhere. They were at sinks cleaning dishes or at a fireplace poking at something inside. Peggy led Sarah to an island where she sat her down on a stool. Another goblin woman tossed a plate of breakfast foods in front of Sarah before sprinting off to another chore. Sarah spent the first ten minutes just staring at the hectic goblins. Forgetting her food until another goblin banged her plate with a wooden spoon and gave her a look that let her know the food on it needed to disappear. Feeling her stomach rumble she started eating. She was so invested in eating that she didn't hear the heavy footsteps of a being considerably larger than a goblin come up behind her. So when a large, warm, human hand came to rest on her shoulder, she almost choked on her eggs in surprise.

Turning around, fully expecting to see Jareth, she was pleasantly surprised to see Roland behind her, with Jonis peeking out from behind him.

"Sarah!" Jonis greeted, waving emphatically.

"Jonis, Roland! Why are...oh you work here, that's right!" She jumped from her stool, she'd forgotten that detail.

"Yea, so, what's up with you living here now?" Jonis asked.

Sarah sat back on the stool. "You'd have to ask the king about that." she said angrily.

"We did, he just said it was your choice, 'your wish was his command' or something like that."

"My choice?" she fumed.

"Wasn't it?"

"As if! Do you really think I'd want to live here rather then with my friends?"

"I dunno," Jonis replied honestly. "This _is_ a castle, I'd think it would be a lot more fun here, rather than living with, as Roland tells me, that grumpy old troll," he teased.

"You assume wrongly." she replied curtly, not in the mood for his constant good humor.

Jonis shrugged and dropped the matter. "Alright, alright."

"Are you done with breakfast?" Roland asked offhandedly.

She looked at him in confusion before glancing back at her plate, or where it used to be, now it was missing. She looked up just in time to see it being tossed into a sink brimming with sudsy water, leftover food and all. Sarah sighed as Jonis laughed and grabbed her elbow to tug her out of the kitchen and lead her down the hall with Roland trailing behind.

"It's alright, you'll learn to eat faster. So now that you aren't busy, let's talk. How's life for the princess."

"Princess?"

Jonis nodded with mock sincerity. "You're a pretty girl living in a castle, so you must be a princess."

"More like a prisoner," she mumbled under her breath.

"What?"

She shook her head, shrugging off the arm he'd slung, good-naturedly around her shoulders. "Where are we going?"

"To the big man, gotta see if there's anything that needs doin'. We don't get paid to talk to girls after all."

Sarah's mind was working, trying to find any advantage she might have if she confronted Jareth with these two as an audience.

They entered the throne room. Jareth was sitting in the windowsill looking out, a crystal orb twirling through his fingers. He didn't turn to them as Jonis spoke.

"Good morning sire, is there any business that you would have us attend to?"

"No boys, you can-"

Sarah charged right up to him, a startled Jonis calling her back. She mimicked what he'd done to her, leaning forward to his ear she hissed. "I want it all back. Hoggle, the flower shop, the life I was building, I want it back."

"No, no Sarah," he sighed, not turning to her. "You still do not seem to accept why you are here. You got what you wanted, now you must hold to your end of the bargain."

"My end of the bargain?" she hissed.

He finally turned to her from the window. "You got your dreams, you are here, among your fondest friends, in return you do as I command."

"You mean that whole 'Let me rule you, do as I say and I will be your slave' thing?"

He just watched her, as her voice grew louder.

"So this is the ruling me part? Then when do you become my slave?" She asked snidely.

"I suppose… I will be your slave when you willingly do as I say." A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, he knew how the words would affect her.

"I'll never willingly do anything you want."

"Then I shall never be your slave."

"Then why even bother with the rules!"

"It is an ideal, I presume, something to work towards." He grinned mischievously.

"You know I won't do as you say but you keep me here anyhow."

"Again, and please listen this time, you have already received your end of the bargain, it's my end that is still unfulfilled. Which is the reason you are here, to fulfill it." With that he swept past her, his silky hair caressing her cheek.

Sarah spun to watch his back, finally letting understanding of how the tables had turned sink into her mind. Yesterday she'd gotten upset because she thought he was being unfair. Now she was upset because he wasn't, because he was right and she was wrong, and she was stuck.

Jareth had stopped in front of the boys. When she looked at them she saw confusion and bewilderment on Jonis' face and surprise on Roland's. She moved to stand just behind the king, a little to his side, using him as a shield.

"Sarah," Jonis's voice was quiet and unsure, a weird tone to hear coming from him. "What's going on?"

"I've made a mistake."

His brow furrowed, confused.

"I shouldn't have come back."

"Come back?"

She stayed silent.

"You're the girl," Roland said suddenly. "The only person to ever win back their child."

"What? I don't get it, what's going on?" Jonis asked.

Sarah didn't respond, she didn't even look up, so she missed the look of envy and sadness that marred his face, but the Goblin King didn't.

"Jonis, would you see that the flower vases are watered. Roland, please escort Sarah back to her room. There will be nothing more for today." Jareth turned to stroll back to the windowsill.

The three walked together down the hall in silence. Jonis left them at the bottom of the stairs to retrieve a watering can, leaving Sarah and Roland to continue together. Roland was quiet like usual, but unlike usual, there was a buzzing energy around him, almost like she could feel thoughts flying through his head. They reached her door and she was surprised when he went in before her, walking straight to her window to sit on the sill and stare out at the flower garden below.

She followed him in and gently shut the door. She stayed facing the door, worried about what he would say, what he thought. She turned to him only when she heard his voice.

"I heard you talking to Jareth yesterday when we were supposed to be in the dining hall. You wished away a child?"

Sarah was about to answer, when his words from the day before came tumbling back. He'd said things about cruel people who don't deserve the children they wished away. And she felt shame paint her face red.

"Yes," she answered quietly.

He nodded sadly, turning to look at her. His voice came in a weak, strained whisper. "Me too."

* * *

a/n: Okay, I hope the chapter made sense!

Love to all my reviewers! I hope your patience for me isn't all gone. R&R!


	8. Connections Forged… or Broken?

Connections Forged… or Broken?

8

* * *

Sarah, for just a moment, could have sworn she'd gone into vertigo. Her body swayed and colors swirled before her eyes. She leaned her back against the door so that she could be sure the room wasn't actually moving. Regaining her composure, she looked to where Roland was still sitting, framed by the window. They made eye contact for a quick moment before he turned a tortured gaze back out the window.

Sarah had only a second to glimpse his face, but it was enough to see how tormented he was by his confession.

"You... you wished away a child too?" she whispered hesitantly.

She wasn't sure if he'd heard her, but he nodded, the smallest jerk of a movement, but he did nod. Air rushed out of her in a hiss and she shook her head, shoulders sagging, trying to get rid of the disbelief. Roland was like her, they were connected.

Sarah's gaze returned to his slumped figure. "Will you tell me about it? Please."

He nodded once more, turning so that she could see his face's striking profile.

"I did the same as you. I wished away my little brother."

Sarah walked quietly to sit on the edge of the bed nearest him.

"I was eight at the time. I had this brother, Nathaniel, who was about four, and so needy that my father was constantly canceling activities we had planned to do together in favor of doing things with Nathaniel." He shook his bowed head, silky strands of hair falling to veil his closed eyes. "Looking back, it was obviously because Nathaniel had minor motor skill problems that needed special attention, but when your eight and feel like your father is ignoring you, you're incapable of noticing important facts like that. So I sent him away when I got too jealous to care what I was doing."

He turned to Sarah then, pleading, "I was terrified when he disappeared since I didn't mean it of course! I didn't know it would actually happen."

Sarah nodded dejectedly; she knew exactly how he had felt.

Roland mimicked her nod unconsciously. "You know what happens after that: Hoggle, the Labyrinth, the time limit. But I didn't make it in time like you did. So the Goblin King came to me and told me I was to return to the Aboveground, and that I would forget that Nathaniel ever existed." His eyes slid off of her face to gaze unseeingly at the wall.

"When I asked what would happen to my brother he wouldn't answer." His voice grew louder and stronger as his emotions swelled. "I felt so guilty, thinking about how I would simply return home and he would stay here to devil knows what kind of future." Roland stood and began pacing the room. "I may have been an awful brother before that point, but while I was running that maze, my eight-year-old brain changed and I knew how much I loved that kid. I vowed to myself to protect him with all of my power. So, knowing I couldn't fail him yet again, I asked if I could stay here, with Nathaniel."

Sarah's eyebrows rose. A decision like that should not have been on the terrified shoulders of such a young child. As Roland told his story, she could see his usually cold façade melting into the image of the lost child he had once been.

"The Goblin King accepted, and reunited us in the Valley."

Sarah's brow furrowed as she thought of the humans that inhabited the Valley. It was such a bustling place, so many lost children to fill their ranks. She looked back to him. "So you grew up with him, living in the Valley?"

"Yes. And you? The boy you won back, how is he now?"

Sarah brightened as she thought of her Toby. "He's growing up so beautifully. He's four now, and so energetic."

Roland nodded, smiling sadly as he observed her joy.

Sarah, in turn, noticed his misery. "But your brother must be doing well also. He's how old now?"

"He would be 17, almost as old as you."

Sarah frowned. "Would be?"

Roland drew in a deep breath, like he was drawing strength into himself. "Nathaniel is dead."

Sarah gasped, horrified, Roland's expression of pain suddenly given a whole new meaning.

"Dead?" she asked, her voice barely audible. She suddenly remembered that time she'd been in his house. It had only been a few seconds, but the place had been bare, cold and lonely.

Roland's mouth opened to answer when the door slammed open and Sarah gasped a second time.

"Roland," Jareth's silky voice said. "Jonis is waiting for you downstairs. He desires your company for the return trip home."

Roland's face was tight as he nodded, moving forward to leave. Sarah was surprised to see Jareth place a comforting hand on Roland's shoulder as he passed. The intimidating man then turned his cold eyes to Sarah.

"I see your causing pain to everyone you meet," he observed.

Sarah could only muster a weak glare, still startled by her recent conversation.

Jareth frowned regally back at her. "You should be aware Sarah, that you are not the one with the most unfortunate story in this place."

Sarah looked away. So maybe in his eyes her sulking about being here was petulant.

"Stay here and leave what you don't understand alone." He instructed. Sounding as if he was speaking about more than just Roland's past. He was just turning to leave when Sarah jumped to her feet.

"Is that it! You're going to lock me in here to rot!"

He turned back, not bothering to look her in the eyes. "I said that I would uphold my end of the deal and, therefore, have kept you in my home, and in the Underground where your dreams alleged was where you desired to be most. I never said I wanted you here, and feel no desire to entertain you. If you want something to spend your time on, tell your goblin maid and she will keep you busy." He turned back to the hallway and said over his shoulder as he left. "Otherwise, to me, you are no more than a pesky shadow."

Sarah was left staring at the empty doorway. She had imagined many of the ways she might be treated if she ended up captive to the Goblin King, but being completely ignored was not one of those scenarios. She wanted to kick herself for the ridiculous fantasies she'd conjured up. As if there were any feelings for her left in that wretched creature. Three years and those emotions she'd seen in his eyes as he pleaded for her to stay must have been forgotten. Or maybe they had never been there to begin with, just a little girl's desire for romance overpowering reality. She squeezed her hands into fists to stop herself from screaming out in frustration.

Rushing to the window she sank into the spot Roland had occupied so recently. Looking out, she spotted the far off figures of Roland and Jonis. They were just entering the picket fence that circled the city. The same city that held the tortured past of the boy who had been so mysterious to her, but who she now understood so completely. She may never see Toby again in her life, but at least she knew he would live on.

Peggy bustled in a few hours later to find Sarah still gazing out at the ceaseless view of the Underground. Saddling up beside the girl she crossed her stubby arms and propped them on the windowsill, trying to see what was so interesting.

Sarah looked down at the tiny being, contemplation filling her face. "What am I doing here Peggy?" she asked wearily.

"Tha's wat I is tryin' ta find out!" Peggy exclaimed.

Sarah couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. "Never mind that, I was just watching the wind tickle the flowers. What are you doing here?"

"Now that I c'n answer. I's here ta fetch ya fer lunch." She bustled to the door and motioned for Sarah to come with her.

"I won't be eating with the king will I?"

Peggy shook her head as she walked beside Sarah to the kitchen. "His Majesty ordered that ya be eatin' with us."

Sarah huffed. "So he's banished me from even eating with him," she mumbled to herself.

"Was 'at?" Peggy asked as they entered the bustling kitchen.

Sarah shook her head silently and sat at a grubby table as Peggy set a plate heaped with food in front of Sarah and herself. The two ate side-by-side, not bothering to start a conversation since the kitchen goblins who weren't eating were still making too much noise around them. It wasn't until after they'd finished and were walking the halls that Sarah spoke.

"The king says I'm to ask you for what I should do during the day Peggy."

"Why, you can help an old goblin out is what ya can do!"

Sarah smiled at the woman's enthusiasm as she spent the remainder of the day learning the intricacies of being a maid in a castle. Peggy took the opportunity to assign Sarah to all of her own chores. Sarah was fine with tagging along with Peggy during the day, since she had nothing else to do while trapped in here. The woman was nice enough company, she was better at least than the other person who roamed the castle, he, she wanted nothing to do with since apparently she wasn't worthy of his attention.

The next day Sarah did morning chores with Peggy. They aired linens and swept floors. At one point they spent an hour coercing a group of younger goblins in to take baths 'or else'.

Sarah found the work was a good way to help her learn the layout of the castle, she'd already found a few rooms she wanted to explore more of later. The work was otherwise boring and it lulled her into a mindless rhythm. She was so unaware of her surroundings that she didn't realize where she was when they entered a circular office. She especially didn't take note of Peggy silently bowing to the amused Goblin King sitting behind the creamy marble desk.

"Now, that is a look that suits you," he stated with cold amusement.

Sarah dropped the broom she'd been holding to stare at him in his crisp cream and white outfit. Her dumpy brown pants and gray over sized wool blouse suddenly didn't seem like the good idea they had been earlier. Her hair, wrapped back with a splotchy kerchief, was regrettably messy.

Seeing him appraising her, she raised her chin defiantly and fought not to be embarrassed.

"Well? Come sweep. I assume you weren't carrying that broom around to keep yourself standing." His voice was a bored, mocking monotone.

Sarah gritted her teeth as she stepped forward to do what she'd come for. The moment she finished, she bolted straight for the door, ignoring all of the other chores she had intended to accomplish.

She jerked in surprise when a warm hand swiftly covered hers as she gripped the door handle.

"By the way Sarah," His hot breath blew through her hair, sweeping down her neck. "Your friends are downstairs waiting for you. Shall I escort you so you don't get lost?"

Sarah snatched her hand out from underneath his, but she couldn't step backwards, he was too close behind her. So close that she could feel his body heat seeping into her back.

Jareth swept past her as he swung the door open, forcing Sarah to stumble out of its way.

She looked back towards Peggy, who was watching them wide-eyed, before shooing Sarah to follow him.

They entered the throne room, Sarah trailing behind a good five paces, where they were greeted by Ashlen and Avery, with Jonis and Roland hovering just behind.

Sprinting past Jareth, Sarah embraced Ashlen with relief. She hadn't been sure she'd ever see her again.

"What kind of outfit is that?" Ashlen giggled as they pulled apart, tugging the kerchief off to let Sarah's raven hair swing forward.

"Oh nothing, I just didn't want to get my clothes dirty while I cleaned."

"Cleaned? What would you be doing that for when there are so many maids about?" Avery teased good naturedly.

Sarah just smiled and shook her head. Stealing a glance to her back, she saw that Jareth was gone. Looking back to the others she noticed that Devon was missing. She also noticed that Jonis and Roland had hung to the back. She was bewildered to find Jonis not smiling like usual; in fact, he looked decidedly uncomfortable to be there. He was toeing the floor and avoiding eye contact. To his left, Roland was watching her with a small, tight smile, but with similar hesitation. Confused, Sarah did not attempt to greet them, instead she let Ashlen twine their arms together and lead her away.

As they walked, they chatted about what it's like to live with the king. Sarah ignored comments on the his royal good looks, something apparently all the girls back in town gushed over, and avoided talking about how they interacted. No, they do not sleep in the same room, much less in the same bed. And, no, he is not that good looking in her opinion. Much to the chagrin of Ashlen, Sarah insisted on it and Ashlen had to give up her attempts at ogling the Goblin king with Sarah.

At that point Avery graciously saved her, leading the conversation towards the happenings of the Valley citizens. Sarah's mind was transported to yesterday's conversation and she turned to Roland, only to find him and Jonis no longer following. Avery and Ashlen followed her gaze in confusion.

"What's wrong Sarah?" They asked in unison.

"I..." she sighed. "What happened to Roland's brother?"

They stared at her with wide eyes. Ashlen looked to Avery who nodded. "If he's already told her part of it, he won't mind us finishing the tale."

Ashlen nodded solemnly.

"He died," Ashlen started wistfully after a moment of silence. She laced her fingers with Sarah's. "Roughly four years ago, when a terrible sickness swept the Underground, it stole many of our loved ones."

Avery interrupted. "My mother and unborn sister were lost to it. Jonis almost lost his youngest brother as well," his voice floated softly from behind them.

Sarah spun quickly and squeezed his shoulder with her free hand. "I'm so sorry."

He nodded and rested his hand over hers.

"The king's magic usually protects us from illness, but at the time it happened, he was not his usual self. You see, a girl that would pass into legend was running, and winning the Labyrinth."

Sarah hand stiffened in the younger girl's grasp, dread building in the pit of her stomach.

Ashlen continued, "She is said to have been a feisty opponent. Though all anyone really knows about her is from stories told by fireys and goblins, neither being very good in truth telling. Jareth tells no one of what he knows, but Hoggle would boast of her from time to time. He claims she is of a beauty enough to weaken the knees, and so friendly she is able to gain the trust and love of the foulest beasts."

Sarah beamed fondly at Hoggle's kind words. Beasts, he must have meant Sir Didymus and Ludo, possibly even himself.

"Many a young girl admire her for her strength, but by the adults she is cursed for the pain she has caused us."

Her smile wilted, she was sure she knew the story that would follow.

"The king was in turmoil when she left our world. The magic he protects us with faltered, and the illness seeped into the veins of our weak, our young. His Majesty quickly regained his control, but not before it was too late for those already infected. Many were lost."

The trio fell into silence. Sarah could feel her heart constricting. She had not known of the wreckage she had been the origin of. These people, who she considered her friends, were standing unknowingly beside the killer of their beloved. She now understood Roland's hesitation from earlier. He's the only one that knows she is the girl of legend. He knows of her guilt. He must blame her for his brother.

Part of her didn't want to know, but she felt it was necessary to understand who it was she stole from them.

"Nathaniel… what was his last name? I feel like I should know."

Ashlen nodded, but Avery took over the story, grasping Sarah's other hand. "Ashlen knows the story that answers this question, but not first hand. She was too young when it was happening, only a child of four years, the same as Nathaniel. When the two brothers arrived in the Valley, the king introduced them as 'the brothers Coeur', so that was the name they lived under. But their original name, their 'before name' was Choi. I asked Roland, when we were children, if the name change bothered him. After all, most people are very young if they come from Aboveground, and they don't feel a connection to their before names, but Roland was already eight, so he would always remember using his. He told me this, 'Choi is who we were before, Coeur is who we will be now'. He sounded so very grown up when he said it. He's only two years older than me, but I've always been so impressed by him, even now."

Sarah smiled weakly as she pictured Roland the way she'd seen him in her room earlier, a loyal and determined, but frightened child of eight.

The three had arrived in the lush, sun-dappled patch of forest at the edge of the garden. They'd gotten there without Sarah even noticing. The two girls sat on warm boulders at the edge of the water; Avery sat nearby on a stone bench. They lazed there for awhile. Eventually Avery was called away, his sister needed watching. Sarah, who had been going over something in particular from the earlier conversation, decided to broach the subject with Ashlen.

"Did you know him well? Since you were the same age?"

Ashlen abruptly laughed joyously, pleasantly surprising Sarah. "He was my best friend. He was so enthusiastic and happy that I learned to be like that too."

Sarah smiled. "He sounds wonderful."

"He was." She said wistfully.

Sarah saw, there in her eyes, that the girl Ashlen had been four years ago, before all of this had happened, had been in love with the boy. Just great, she'd killed mothers, brothers, sisters and lovers. She deserved to be imprisoned here.

They sat in silence until the sky faded to pinks and reds. Ashlen smiled, reliving pleasant memories in her mind. Sarah sat wallowing in guilt. Ashlen stood and held her hand out to Sarah.

"Walk me to the door?"

Sarah grasped her cool hand and they set off to the castle.

"Where was Devon today?" Sarah asked offhandedly as Goblins pried the front door open for Ashlen.

"Oh, Devon doesn't come here."

"Really? Why's that? Doesn't she fawn over the king like the rest of the city girls?"

Ashlen stepped out past the doors as she shook her head, her fiery hair highlighted by the colors of the setting sun.

"Well then, does she have a problem with him or something?" Sarah asked casually, not really thinking that the reason.

"Something like that." Ashlen admitted as she turned back to Sarah.

The Goblins were already pulling the doors shut and Sarah barely heard what Ashlen called to her over her shoulder before it closed.

"It's because she's half Fey."

* * *

a/n = read: Loooots of back-story. Too much maybe? I dunno 'cause I love back-stories! More Jareth is coming so do not fear! The Fey King is not just a grumpy, crumbly side dish; he is a sexy, juicy main course and his meal will come! Sorry for so gloomy a chapter! I didn't realize how sad a story this was when I started.

And since I suck at updating, here's a **glimpse into the future** for all curious readers: Fey politics, ghosts from the past for more of the OC (ugh, not that OC!) crew and dun, dun, dun… lots of feisty lovin' for everyone.

Thanks to all of my precious reviewers! Please continue to review or I don't know what's going on with my readers!


	9. Of Fey and Family

Of Fey and Family

9

* * *

Sarah stood open mouthed before the closed door. The goblins who had pulled the door shut panted as they returned to their posts beside the behemoth of an entryway.

_Devon is half fey_? Sarah nodded faintly to herself. _I guess that's not a total surprise, the girl moves so much more gracefully than anyone I've ever met, well, beside… whatever. _She would not think about that person if she didn't have to._  
_

Noticing the goblin guards watching her speculatively, she swiveled and briskly walked back the way she'd come.

The next morning she sent a letter out immediately, requesting a visit from Ashlen. It was her first time using the castle's mailing system, so she was surprised when they not only returned within the hour with Ashlen's response, but with Ashlen herself.

"Wow," Ashlen exclaimed. "That's never happened to me before. They just knocked on my door, told me you'd asked for me and rushed me over."

Sarah's mouth dropped open and she scolded the only remaining goblin in the room. Ashlen laughed as it escaped.

Sarah shook her head. "I'm sorry, I had no idea they'd do that."

"It's alright Sarah. No harm done." Ashlen soothed, moseying around the bedroom. "So, why'd you send for me?"

"It's about Devon."

"Ahhhhh." Ashlen nodded knowingly. "The fey thing?"

Sarah's head bobbed up and down vigorously.

Ashlen nestled into Sarah's plush bed and patted the spot beside her. "Come, let's have story time."

Sarah grinned and joined her.

"You see, Devon is sort of a… bastard child."

Sarah winced at the harsh term. Ashlen, who had taken Sarah's hand in her own, squeezed it.

"Her father was a Valley man, a human. Her mother is a royal fey." Ashlen thought for a moment. "The Goblin King's… sister or cousin, something like that."

Sarah's eyes opened wide. "They're related?"

Ashlen nodded once sharply.

Sarah couldn't decide what was more shocking, that Devon and Jareth were related, or that Jareth had anything as normal as a family.

Ashlen continued, "Um, let's see… I think her dad was actually born here, not like you and me. It's been awhile since I've seen Devon's picture of him. He was a handsome man, if I remember right, though a hot head I've been told..."

It turned out to be a long, sad story. Ashlen was lighthearted in the telling, an attempt to lighten the mood, it helped, but not much. Ashlen had then been called away soon after finishing. Her abrupt departure from home that morning had left her late for an appointment.

Sarah was left lying in bed, soaking it in. It seemed everyone in the Underground had a complicated, sad past and she seemed to be learning about all these things at the same time.

Devon's parents were the fey princess Janael, younger sister of Jareth, and the human man Rollo Alva. The two had happened to meet when Janael had come to the city to visit her brother. A forbidden relationship had sparked, and a girl child was born. The fey royalty were horrified, and the child banished from the fey woods as well as her rightful place in the royal line of succession.

She lived with her father in the Valley, unaware of the despair and hatred that bubbled within him. Then one day, Rollo kissed his three year old daughter's forehead, the girl aged at a human rate, yet another mark against her in the fey's minds, he'd then put her in the care of Jardin Floret, a fey man that had been sent by her mother to help watch over the child, and left to fight the fey court that refused to accept her. He never came back. Word was received that a fight between the fey high king, her grandfather, and her father had started, then escalated uncontrollably. Her father was dead. The body would be sent back for a proper burial. They didn't want the child.

So Devon had been raised by Mr. Floret, had been told the story of her parents, and had still managed to grow up to be a sweet, forgiving girl, somehow. She had grown to be as lovely and gentle as the flowers Mr. Floret had surrounded her with. She was refused contact from any part of fey society. The fey court had told Jareth to stay away from his sister's child as well, and he'd seemed to do so. What the high court didn't know was that, when she growing up, Jareth had often visited his niece in secret. Ashlen had seen him doing so in the late dusk hours every so often. He'd been a doting uncle until one day a lonely Devon had pleaded that he take her to her mother. He'd smiled warmly, given her a picture of the woman, but refused. She'd wanted nothing to do with him after that. So she was effectively cut off from all of fey society at last. Her guardian, Jardin Floret, was also cast out when he refused to return to the fey woods when the court realized where he was. He lost his rightful place as royal adviser.

Sarah shook her head. So Mr. Floret was connected to them as well, and was fey to boot. This place was starting to feel like a tangled web of despair, everywhere she turned, everyone she knew was somehow connected to it, trapped in it.

.

Sarah spent the rest of the morning mindlessly sweeping. She was passing through a hallway when she heard loud chatter coming from a doorway.

"When are they coming?"

"In a week's time!"

"So soon? Preparations must begin immediately! His majesty will also need to be prepared for the maidens' arrival!"

Sarah's interest peaked. Maidens, as in young women? As in pretty young women for… for what… marriage, dating, sex!

Her heart thumped and she stumbled away as the sounds of moving chairs could be heard from the room. She hurried to the place she knew Peggy was working.

"Peggy why are there pretty young women coming here?" she blurted the instant she'd exploded into the room.

A startled Peggy yelped and almost fell from the stool she was standing on to wash a high windowsill.

"You youngins think ya can just play everywhere don'cha?" she grumbled, shakily stepping down from the stool.

"Sorry Peggy! I just…"

Peggy shook her cleaning rag at her. "Just hush up!" she snapped. "They're comin' fer the king. The court is always sendin' 'em to try to get him to marry one already. They don' like 'im bein' single and all. they want heirs 'n all that."

Peggy waited for a response, but Sarah just watched dumbfounded.

"Which reminds me, I'm always in charge o' his clothes. Can you sew?"

Sarah nodded mutely.

"Then we got business with the king, come on!"

When Sarah entered the king's office alongside Peggy, Jareth was posed, arms crossed, upon a pedestal in the middle of the room. He was in a striking royal blue ensemble that highlighted the golden glisten of his hair and his creamy complexion. His eyes remained on a spot on the far wall as the two entered. The muscles around Sarah's eyes tightened marginally as she frowned, tucking the basket of sewing implements under her arm she proceeded to a table to set the basket down. Peggy grabbed a cushion of pins and began tugging at the loose cloth of his pants to get it to settle on his legs more snugly.

While Peggy was busy, Sarah had moved back to start threading the needle she would use to mend the clothes, thinking about how she could now see the resemblance he had to Devon. When a sharp sound from Peggy let her know she was to mimic Peggy's actions with his shirt and jacket. Sarah abandoned her endeavor and moved to stand awkwardly in front of him.

Sarah glanced up to see the Jareth's face, he was facing her but his eyes were glassy and lazily tracking Peggy's movements. She felt herself tense as her face settled into what she hoped was a blank expression and picked up her pin cushion. Moving around to his back, she shook her hands out to shoo any trembles and firmly grasped hold of the stiff fabric of the jacket. She was tugging it down to make it sit as unwrinkled as possible when she jerked in surprise as Jareth uncrossed his arms and let them fall to his side, releasing the tension in the fabric and letting it sit undisturbed. His movement had not only startled her, but also sent a stronger waft of his scent her way. She stood for a moment, inhaling and appreciating before sending a huff through her nose to dispersing the smell when she realized what she was doing.

While she had been hesitating, Jareth had moved to unbutton the three buttons on the lower part of the jacket that wrapped around to sit just above his left hip, and slid the jacket off. Twisting, he nonchalantly tossed the jacket at Sarah, who scrambled to catch it, before turning back to adjust the ruffled shirt himself.

Sarah quickly placed the beautiful, silver embossed, royal blue jacket onto the wooden mannequin torso before turning back to Jareth. The ivory shirt was only slightly too baggy, and only around his midsection, so Sarah deftly pinched the cloth at the seams until she felt a gentle resistance and pinned them in place. When finished, she walked to stand in front of him to check the fit. She kept her eyes solidly on his stomach area as she inspected. The shirt had a few ruffles that cascaded from around his neck to about where his navel must be. She flicked them away with her fingertips to check for any stress wrinkles that would indicate she'd pinned the shirt too tight, there were none. Forcing her eyes up, she scrutinized his shoulders and arms to make sure the adjustment hadn't caused any new disturbances to how the rest of the garment sat on him. She nodded in approval when all looked perfect and turned to Peggy.

Peggy had already finished his pants and was struggling to get the jacket down from the tall manikin. Sarah hurried to her side and plucked it off, turning back to Jareth with it in her arms as Peggy prepared the pins.

"Your jacket," she said in monotone.

She helped him ease into it, making sure none of the pins in his shirt stuck him, then let him adjust it himself. Moving to his front she grabbed the strip of cloth that wrapped around his front and fastened it to the buttons above his hip. Tugging the edges down she was pleased to realize the jacket was already a perfect fit.

Looking up at him she almost jerked her eyes back down when she came eye to eye with his frosty gaze. Forcing herself to maintain eye contact, she asked him to cross his arms.

He did so without a word. She circled him, checking the cloth for signs of strain. Relieved to see none, she hastily grabbed for the buttons and started undoing them. Jareth uncrossed his arms abruptly and swung them down to settle his hands on his sides. His left hand grazed her knuckles and she froze momentarily before struggling to unfasten the final button quickly, while avoiding further physical contact with his hand, which felt too close to hers. Finally the last button was removed from its slot and she swiftly took the jacket back once he'd shrugged it off, not keen on having it thrown at her again.

Peggy had prepared two needles with their necessary threads and left them on the table, she was also missing from the room. Sarah was disoriented for a moment as she spun, trying to spot the petite woman. She glanced to Jareth when the movement of him crossing his arms caught her eye.

"Are you planning on watching me undress? Or have you forgotten the direction to the door?" he inquired, laughter at her seeping through his eyes.

Sarah's eyes widened and she felt her cheeks tingle.

"Of course not!" She spun on her heels and hurried to the door, hiding her reddening cheeks. "As if I'd want to," she whispered hotly.

Sarah found Peggy just outside the door. "You didn't tell me I was supposed to leave the room!" she huffed.

"'Course ya leave the room! Ya can't fix nothin' while i's still on the body, he's gotta strip!" she informed perkily.

Sarah sighed heavily at the woman's oblivion to her embarrassment.

When he'd changed out of the outfit, he called for them to come back. Sarah saw that he was sitting behind his desk, ignoring them while he wrote. He was wearing a simple black dress shirt which, she noticed uncomfortably, he hadn't bothered to button up. A shock of unblemished porcelain skin left on display.

As Peggy brushed past, Sarah glanced up to what she thought would be a face still turned down to its work, but it wasn't. Instead, she found him watching her as she stared at his chest, head tilted to the side. His face showed the slightest hints of amusement, the icy expression from earlier was gone replaced with a knowing smirk.

A shiver ran up her spine. Sarah briskly followed Peggy to a table set against a side wall and immediately hunched over the pin lined shirt. Sarah was skilled, but out of practice when it came to mending clothes. She'd patched up quite a few garments for a rowdy Toby, but nothing recently. The added pressure of the uncomfortable environment didn't help.

Peggy quickly finished the pants while Sarah still worked she'd had enough time to find a dressing screen to drag into the room. She was waiting, at present, for him to try on the pants to make sure the sewing had followed the pins correctly.

Sarah finally finished with the shirt and was bringing the cloud-like thing to Peggy when he stepped from behind the screen, handing the trousers he'd been wearing to Peggy. Sarah almost stumbled in surprise but managed to disguise it as moving to avoid hitting the corner of his desk.

The deep blue trousers, while having been a nice, subtle fit before, were now clearly meant to show off the lengthy, toned legs they encased. Refusing to show that she'd noticed, Sarah rudely thrust the shirt at him, eyes staring out the massive bay window to his left.

"Sarah!" Peggy hissed sharply.

Sarah ignored her. Jareth didn't seem to mind anyway, not bothering to say anything. He simply set the shirt on his desk, letting the black shirt he was wearing slither from his shoulders and onto the floor around his feet. When Peggy bent to retrieve it Jareth spoke.

"No, let Sarah get it." His voice was light yet condescending.

Peggy moved back, but Sarah just stared at it. Peggy pinched the back of Sarah's leg, forcing her to move. Stepping forward with a wince, she crouched down and snatched the offending top from around his legs, secretly wishing they'd somehow trip him. Standing, Sarah was face to face, err… face to collar bone with the king, but either way glaring defiantly.

"Here," she snipped.

"I don't need _that_ shirt." He spoke slowly, as if to a dim child.

Sarah's eyes slid to the cream colored shirt on the desk. Rolling her eyes she turned and grabbed it, dropping the silky black one in its place. Holding it out to him she saw that Peggy was staring, wide eyed, as if she was the one that had been insulted by Sarah's hostile actions. He took the shirt without complaint and began sliding his arms into it.

Peggy was wringing her hands nervously, clearly wanting to aid him, but too short to do so. Sending Sarah suggestive glances to lend a hand, Sarah frowned and widened her eyes incredulously, shaking her head. Peggy was just making threats to pinch her again when Sarah gave up, she was about to offer assistance when she realized he was just buttoning the last button.

The corners of her mouth were quirking in victory when he looked up, forcing her to squelch the grin into an unattractive, pinched frown. His eyebrow quirked at the face and he was forced to hide his amusement.

Peggy rushed over to the manikin's torso and hopped onto a chair to tug the jacket down. Sprinting back she thrust the garment into Sarah's hands, eager to see the finished ensemble.

Sarah was about to thrust her arm out to give the jacket to Jareth when she saw Peggy's stubby fingers moving behind her legs. Spurred forward, Sarah opened the jacket and waited for him to start putting his arms through. Amused, he obliged and smiled warmly out of Sarah eyesight at Peggy, who shook her head in grandmotherly style disapproval.

Sarah didn't even wait to be threatened after she'd settled the garment on his shoulders and went ahead and did up the three buttons of the jacket. Stepping back, she kept her eyes staring off to the side.

"It is very becoming sire," Peggy approved, awed at the sight.

He turned his back to them and pushed the changing screen shut to appraise himself in a mirror. He stood for a moment, inspecting, then nodded. "You did an admirable job Peggy." He complimented.

His eyes then slid to meets Sarah's, which were reflected in the mirror over his shoulder. He didn't say anything, and the smile he'd had for Peggy melted from his face, but he wasn't frowning. He looked like he was waiting, probably for her to say something. Sarah wasn't about to do that so she broke eye contact and turned to start cleaning up the left over thread, passing a preening Peggy.

Sarah was piling the supplies into her arms when a soft knock at the door preceded Roland's entrance. Sarah's eyebrows rose, she felt like she hadn't seen him in a long time, though it had only been yesterday. He glanced at her, not smiling when they made eye contact, even though she had.

"The letter with the list of all who will be attending has arrived sir."

"Thank you Roland. I'll be right down."

Roland bowed and turned to leave. Hesitating, he walked over to Sarah and started picking up whatever she hadn't already gathered. Surprised, Sarah hastened to help him. Once it was all in their arms, he motioned for her to follow and they headed for the door. Roland was holding the door open for Sarah and Peggy when a contemplative Jareth called out.

"Oh Peggy, make sure Roland and Sarah have their clothes properly fitted as well."

Peggy bowed and scurried out before them.

Sarah looked at Roland in confusion and Roland returned a look of surprise. They left in silence and they were walking slowly, so slowly Peggy was far enough ahead to not be able to hear them when they spoke.

"So you'll be attending as well Sarah?"

"I guess so."

Roland nodded.

"Uh, Roland, can you not tell anyone? You know… who I am. You know, the girl that won the Labyrinth."

He watched her for a moment, then nodded.

Sarah smiled tentatively. "Thank you." Another moment passed.

"And Roland?"

"Hmm?"

"I'm sorry."

They stopped walking entirely now.

"What for Sarah?" he whispered.

"For… for causing the sickness that… you know… your brother." Her eyes were downcast.

Roland sighed. "I… I think I forgive you. I shouldn't blame you, I know but… he's my brother, and…" He put a hand on her shoulder forcing her to look up into his intently staring eyes. "I forgive you Sarah."

She nodded, appreciation shining from her face.

* * *

a/n – No cliffie for once! Hope you enjoyed. Please tell me what you think! Thanks to all my lovely reviewers so far!

Lots of J/S next chapter!


	10. Dance Floor

Dance Floor

10

* * *

As it got closer to the day of the ball, the usually idle castle was suddenly pulsating with bodies. Everyone was busy prepping and planning. It wasn't so exciting for Sarah, who wasn't looking forward to an influx of beautiful women. She found solace from her discontent with Roland, who was opening up to her more and more. They would spend hours together, him asking questions about what life was like in the Aboveground, and her telling random stories when he ran out of questions, which in turn helped him think of additional.

"They actually had a play about the book?"

The pair was hiding from Peggy in Sarah's room, both having claimed a side of the immense windowsill. Each with one leg inside while one swung freely in the air hundreds of feet up from the ground.

"Yep, my friend Erin, you'd love him, was even cast as the Goblin King!" Sarah snorted in remembrance. "He doesn't even look like him! His hair is as black as ours! Though I must admit he looked good in the wig and his eyes were the right color." Sarah burst out in hiccupping giggles at her mental image while Roland smiled, even though he wasn't as cold as before, he was still so reserved, so controlled in his actions.

"He sounds like a fun person."

"He was… I mean _is_ a great guy." Her smile wilted. "I wonder what he's up to now. Probably thinks I'm missing, kidnapped or something."

They lapsed into silence as they remembered their families, interrupted soon after as Peggy burst into the room.

"I found ya two rascals! Think ya c'n slip by me…" She suddenly caught the depressed vibe seeping from them and quieted. "Come on kids, a little hard work will distract those troubled minds."

.

The ball was the next evening and young fey women were arriving left and right. Sarah had thought she'd seen the most beautiful woman ever at least five times now but she kept changing her mind with every new face. She'd been surprised when Jareth had appeared out of nowhere to escort each new arrival by hand into the castle, calling to them all by name. The cooing and gushing from the female always continued unrelentingly as they were led up the stairs by Jareth, Sara trailing behind with the woman's things. Once there, Sarah was forced to stay behind with the lady to attend to any needs, while Jareth slipped away. They were all so chatty. Asking her who she was and why she was here? How did she come to know Jareth and why was she the only girl servant they had ever seen? She didn't answer any of the questions. Politely brushing them off and reciting the script she'd rehearsed. They always gave up eventually and shooed the boring girl away. At which time she would search out Roland for company, avoiding returning to her station to escort the next arrival.

It was during one of these excursions that she stumbled upon the ballroom. She hadn't really thought about where the ball would be held, but now that she was here, it was obvious. It looked much the same as it had when she'd first seen it. Circular in design, white marble walls were draped in gauzy fabrics, greens and yellows to match the summer season. Everything was encrusted with crystal: the tables, the railings, the chandeliers. Her muscles tensed involuntarily as she saw ghost images of people swirling and writhing around the tiered dance floor. Were some of the men and women arriving now the same that had sneered and berated her on that day? Could that be why some seem to be so interested in her? Did they recognize her? Feeling like a child alone in a dark room, imagining ghosts popping out from every corner, she turned with the intention of sprinting far, far away. The man leaning against the arched entryway just behind her, however, intended to keep her there a bit longer.

"Why so eager to leave? You didn't get a very good look the first time you were here. You left in such a rush." He clucked his tongue lightly. "Glass was everywhere. I hope that wasn't your attempt at a Cinderella moment, if so, it was a rather violent interpretation."

Adrenaline pumped cold sweat down her back. That experience had thrown her through so many confusing hoops. She'd caught a glimpse of world she, at the time, did not understand, a world of groping men and women, of everyone too close to one another. It had frightened her.

He swayed from his leaning position and stood in front of her giving Sarah, who wouldn't meet his gaze, a view of the tips of his leather boots.

"Your chores await you Sarah. Endeavor not to dodge them a second time, or you never know where you'll end up."

Sarah hurried from the room in the most restrained power walk she could manage, not wanting him to see her fear. Turning a corner she was astounded to find herself in the main hall, where she'd walked through many times, and most definitely did not lead to a ballroom. Spinning around to where she'd come from she found a dead end behind her, just where it should be. Feeling chilled she sprinted down the corridor, hesitating to look back once more before going on. Magic? Had he used magic on her? She hadn't experienced any magic since coming back, if it hadn't been so frightening she'd have been thrilled. Feeling queasy, but not wanting to chance another repeat performance, Sarah diligently returned to her duties.

The next maiden to arrive was a short girl, at least compared to the others. She almost stumbled out of her carriage and Sarah had to leap forward to catch her.

"Oh," she harrumphed. "I ride carriages so rarely and wear dresses like this even less that I'm out of practice." She grumbled before beaming at Sarah. The girl snatched a hand bag from the carriage and snuck her arm into Sarah's elbow, briskly towing her towards the door. Sarah smiled at the girl's friendliness, then frowned as, right on cue, Jareth emerged as the pair reached the top step.

"Why Maery, back again I see," his voice was teasing.

"Not by my choice I can tell you." She flicked the ruffle of his sleeve with her free hand.

Jareth moved to stand at her side, forcing Maery to release Sarah's arm and Sarah to move down a few steps out of his way. He took Maery's bag and handed it back to Sarah as he led her inside. Their easy going conversation floated back to Sarah in snatches. The pair seemed to be long time friends was what Sarah deduced from their shared musings.

When they reached Maery's room, Sarah waited patiently just inside the door. For once Jareth hadn't snuck off immediately after delivering the girl to her room, he actually took over Sarah's duty and was helping Maery settle in. Watching them, Sarah felt rather uncomfortably like she was invading their private reunion. When Jareth had finally disappeared, Sarah began her practiced speech.

"Oh you can forget that stuffy thing." Maery sighed. "I've heard it all before."

Sarah's eyebrows rose.

"I've been coming here for _centuries, _it's such a drag. He never changes how things are done or how things look, except when someone's running that silly maze of his. He has no sense of interior decoration, no sense of color."

Sarah's lip quirked, Maery saw.

"Noticed have you? White, beige, pearl, I'm surprised you're not blind from the brightness. At least he dresses in darker shades, he probably has to or he'd disappear against the walls."

Sarah out right laughed at that.

The two spent the rest of the day together, Sarah felt like she was five years old again, at summer camp making friends and wasting time. Peggy had come to scold her but changed her mind when she saw who she was with. Peggy had a friendly greeting with Maery then gave Sarah the day off as long as she was keeping Maery company.

Sarah was unpacking Maery's trunk as she asked, "Maery, what's this ball all about?"

"You don't know?" she gasped in amazement.

Sarah shook her head.

She clucked her tongue. "Think of it as a mating ritual, pretty girls come, flaunt themselves in hopes of garnering Jareth's attention, and men come to snatch up the girls who don't strike Jareth's fancy. I'm surprised anyone comes to these things anymore, he never chooses anyone. Maybe it'll get interesting this year, rumor has it his parents are pressuring for a marriage."

Sarah's brow furrowed as Maery continued.

"He's not stupid, he knows it's about time to settle down, he'll choose someone soon."

.

"What? I have to help him out tonight?" she complained at the unwanted news.

Peggy zipped around the room. "Of course! I usually do it but being as tall as I am, I'm glad you popped up, it's always such a strain. Don't worry, once he's dressed he always gives me the evening off."

Sarah huffed, while unhappy with the influx of gorgeous women, she'd been secretly looking forward to attending a ball on her own terms, not under the influence of a peach. At least it seemed she'd still get to, despite this wrench in her plans.

"Anyways, he asked for ya, so that's that."

.

Sarah stood outside the Goblin King's royal bedroom. She was already in her ball dress, though it was pathetic in comparison to the fantastical ones the visitors where wearing, with their voluminous, fluttery skirts. Hers was made from a single piece of material that cinched below her bust and flowed down in an a-line. At least it was a rich green color, she'd been told it complimented her coloring, and the shape was flattering. She'd wrapped her shoulders in a gauze scarf to cover the somewhat plunging square neckline. Peggy had set her hair in a swirly bun with a few wispy strands framing her face. Sarah loved the effect, but not the number of pins used, or how tight and stiff it made her scalp feel. She'd be hurting tomorrow.

Dredging the daring from deep within, she knocked sharply on the door.

"Come in." She heard called from inside.

When she stepped in she didn't see him right away. The massive room was a warmer color palette than most of the castle. The furniture was made of dark, rich woods instead of the cold stone and marble she was accustomed to, with multiple doors lining the walls leading to who knew where.

"It's about time. I thought maybe you'd fainted outside the door, you were there for so long."

She spotted him to her right standing in front of a doorway he had just come out of, buttoning his shirt as he watched her look around.

Biting back any desire to say something unfortunate to cover her embarrassment at him knowing how long it had taken her to muster the courage to come in, she curtsied. "I'm here to assist you."

He smirked at her attempt at being courteous, it didn't fit her well. "I know what a servant does, no need to tell me. After all, what else would you be here for?" he asked in a condescending tone with a sly gleam in his eye.

Straightening, she crossed her arms, or tried to. They got tangled in her scarf and she had to shake her hands free and try again. "What do you want? Can't dress yourself?" she spat and whizzed past him and into the adjoining room, which turned out to be a ridiculously large closet.

His smirk widened as she passed, her scent wafting over him. That was more like it.

Immediately recognizing the royal blue jacket on its manikin, she yanked it off, upsetting the manikin and almost knocking it over as she returned to his side. The sound of it spinning to right itself on its base rattled in the background. "This, is your jacket, it goes on next." She held it out to him with the tip of a finger.

He looked at it for a moment, once again amused with her pluck. Then, with his right hand on his hip, he stretched an arm out to her, like a child waiting for its mother to put on a winter coat.

Sarah's eye almost bulged in disbelief before she recovered and slid the sleeve over his arm, fighting the desire to jerk it up violently. She got his arms into the sleeves and coaxed the jacket onto his shoulders, pulling up the back of his collar with a hooked finger to avoid touching contact with him or letting his hair touch her fingers.

"My gloves are on the end table by my bed," he said offhandedly as he adjusted the jacket, flipping his hair out from beneath the coat to trickle around his shoulders.

She went over and picked up the white gloves, hesitating, astonished at the leather's suppleness. She stroked them, rubbing them between her fingers and thrilled at the sensation as she carried them to him. She could now understand why he was always wearing them. She hadn't realized she'd been just standing in front of him, stroking them until Jareth's hand cupped the bottom her own. With a shock, she snatched her hands away from their shocking warmth, the gloves falling into his waiting grip.

"Wonderfully luxurious aren't they?" he purred, slowly, luxuriously sliding them on in the short distance left between their bodies.

She ignored the question as her eyes followed his movements. "Is there anything else?" she asked as she stepped back.

"Yes, in fact there is. You look wholly unacceptable." He reached up and tugged the gauze scarf from her shoulders before she could protest, taking the opportunity glide his leather clad fingertips across her collarbone, the corner of his mouth upturned in a smug grin when she shivered. He flung the offending material away and it disappeared once he released it.

"And your hair." He twirled a finger in the wisp of hair around her face. Sarah gasped as she suddenly felt the rest of her hair tumble around her shoulders as the pins disappeared. Her usually straight, flat hair was now bouncy with loose curls thanks to the time spent coiled up.

He frowned thoughtfully as he appraised her, his eyes holding a spark. "I suppose that will have to do. Come, I'd rather not keep the ladies waiting, they tend to get catty when left together unsupervised." He strode towards the door.

"What? I'm coming with you?"

Turning back to her, he smirked. "Yes, now if you don't mind." He gestured for her to begin moving.

Sarah hurried to hold the door open for him and she was just closing the door behind them when her hand was suddenly swept up into the crook of his arm and he began striding down the hall. Bewildered, she jostled alongside him, with her head down to hide her flustered blush the whole way. She knew she should protest, or at least she thought she should. She didn't want him to think she would allow him to just yank her around, but she couldn't quite force herself to break the contact.

When they arrived at the ballroom, after navigating through hallways Sarah was sure weren't usually there, she was amazed to see just how many people were in attendance. Swirls of gowns packed the circular room, the colors of their dresses even more vibrant against the pale marble floor. She was jerked back into motion as Jareth began descending one of the staircases that lined the wall. She stayed at his side with her hand awkwardly gripping his arm, not sure if she should let go or not now that they were in the presence of the public since he was the eligible bachelor. The moment they reached the dance floor he was swarmed by eager women and Sarah was forcefully separated from him and pushed to the back of the crowd. Thinking he would tell them to calm down and let her return to his side, she was miffed when he seemed unaware of her absence. She noticed a few unfriendly, curious glances from those who were not caught up in the melee around the king. Feeling exposed and rejected, she decided to make a break for it. Scanning the room for Roland she spotted him serving a beverage to what looked like an overzealously flirtatious guest. Grinning, she weaved through the crowd over to him and caught him just as he was escaping the woman's grabby hands.

"Glad to see someone is having a worse time than me."

He looked to her, surprised, and smiled as his eyes took her in. "You look lovely."

Sarah's face froze at the unexpected response. Suddenly self conscious, she tugged at her skirt, the movement rippling through the cloth. She didn't get the chance to respond when a stern hand cupped her elbow.

"I see some of our guests wouldn't mind getting to know you better Roland," the supple voice of Jareth flowed past her ear as she felt his body heat press against her arm. "Why don't you take a few off of my hands and entertain them."

Roland's face fell marginally. He nodded stiffly, smiling apologetically at Sarah and turned away.

"You, stay with me. I don't remember dismissing you," he scolded softly into her ear as he led her towards their table, which was already surrounded by giggling women.

Sarah gritted her teeth, knowing to prepare for the barrage of nasty looks. The glares were even worse than before when they realized she would be seated next to him.

She sat through an hour of nonsensical chatter between Jareth and a non-stop circulation of women. Trying to balance not looking rude in her disinterest or like she was eavesdropping, and the effort was starting to become a strain. Jareth meanwhile was enjoying himself immensely, doing his best to only laugh when one of his admirers said something meant to be funny and not at every yawn or frustrated eye roll that Sarah let slip.

During one of her zoned out moments, she spotted Roland across the room, where he was keeping to himself, nursing a drink. They made eye contact and Sarah shared exasperated shoulder shrugs. She tilted her head in question and he shrugged again, making her smile widen. She jerked suddenly as Jareth leaned towards her, his gaze following hers.

"I'm taking a few of these ladies to dance, come on," he ordered, pushing his chair back as one of the ladies snuggled up beside him.

"Why do I need to be there?"

"In case I need you." He smirked down at her, patting the woman's had as he turned to walk away.

She bristled, she'd never heard of someone stalking a couple across a dance floor just _in case_ they needed something. This was ridiculous and awkward.

Later, after many dances, a mob of girls descended on Jareth for what had to be the hundredth time as he finished a dance with his current partner. They were all demanding to be next in line, regardless of who the next dance had been promised to. Sarah backed out of their way with a now practiced ease, stifling a grin. This was her favorite part, even attention hungry Jareth was overwhelmed at this barely restrained, feminine mosh pit and his presence was usually reduced to an annoyed, far away voice that she could barely hear, so she was surprised to find a now familiar gloved hand pulling her through the crowd.

"I'm sorry ladies, maybe the next one."

"What are you doing?" she hissed under her breath as she was shepherded away.

He shrugged as he spun her to face him, placing a hand on her hip, and one of her delicate hands on his shoulder. She brushed away his silky hair so she wouldn't tug it.

"You were starting to look so pathetic; I thought I'd do the goodwill action of helping you."

"Help me? This will probably get me killed," she scoffed looking back at the watching women, but for all his jesting he looked rather tired. His eyes were dull and had none of the sparkle they'd held when he'd been acting exasperating in his room earlier.

He chuckled but didn't take the opportunity to respond in his typical infuriating fashion. Prompting her to stay silent and allow him his moment's reprieve from the evening's bustle.

.

They were back at the table and Sarah was again being subjected to inane small talk when a woman sat next to Jareth and the chatter at the table noticeably quieted.

She was gorgeous, even by Sarah's currently unforgiving gaze. The woman's features were reminiscent of her mom's, dark hair, light skin, and the woman had emerald eyes that wouldn't stray from Jareth's face. Sarah had been too preoccupied to hear what they'd said to each other when he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. Sarah was just getting out of her seat when she heard.

"Stay there."

She plopped back down, feeling unsuspectingly dejected at not being at his side. She watched them curiously. Jareth was actually smiling and laughing with ease and genuine joy. She wasn't the only one to notice either. The other girls at the table were grumbling to each other.

Deciding this was her opportunity to leave, she made sure Jareth was facing away, not that he had checked her once during the dance, and fled. She found Roland leaning on a wall as far away from the main event as possible. He was practically hiding behind a curtain.

"Finally unchained you did he?" Roland questioned as she tucked in beside him, finding relief in his company.

"Some beauty has captured his attention," she sighed, unknowingly projecting her displeasure onto her face. "I'd bet he's forgotten me for the rest of the evening."

Which turned out to be wrong, Sarah had gotten ten minutes into an engaging conversation with Roland, and was in the middle of explaining intricate high school politics and her funniest times with Erin when a shadow loomed over her half curtain hidden form.

Jareth stood with the mysterious woman at his arm. His expression cold and blank as he hovered over them, the woman seemed amused at the situation.

"You two really are like magnets. If I was paying you Sarah I would dock it." He turned to Roland, expression easing. "I don't think Sarah is one of the guests I'd intended for you to entertain Roland," he gently scolded.

Sarah bristled; he always seemed to be right there whenever she sought out Roland. It's not like she had snuck away when he was in dire need of assistance, he'd been fully occupied. Seeing the sight of the beautiful women who had been keeping him busy hanging from his arm, stroking his velvety jacket sleeve possessively, irritated her further.

She grabbed Roland's hand. "I believe I was dismissed back there, excuse us."

Yanking a startled Roland behind her, she walked briskly towards the dance floor.

"Sarah, you should probably go back and…"

"What? Don't you want to dance with me?" she barked irritably, stopping her forward rampage towards the dance floor.

His worried expression softened. "He can be demanding sometimes, he's royalty, it comes with the crown."

Sarah huffed and dragged Roland onto the dance floor, whose occupants were all watching the little tiff with curiosity, which only added to her embarrassment when she realized she didn't know how to dance. Roland saved her by taking up her hands and taking the lead. As she got into the rhythm and the onlookers lost interest, she noticed Jareth and his partner joining the dancers and she stiffened. Roland snuck a glance in their direction.

"I really don't understand the relationship the two of you have."

Sarah's eyebrows shot up incredulously. "Relationship? I have no relationship with that man."

Roland blinked and tilted his head, his silence working its magic and squeezing words out of her.

"I mean, I work for him and nothing more, it's not like I have feelings for him."

"Feelings?" he asked surprised, sounding like a therapist who'd just found an interesting thread of thought and was going to pull till he found where it led.

"Feelings? What? No, I definitely don't have any of those."

He gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment before his eyes snapped to a point over her shoulder, he bowed his head and she could feel his grip loosening as a hand came from behind her to rest on his shoulder. Sarah recognized the white leather glove and gripped at Roland, but he'd already gone. Sarah watched Roland's retreating back once again, trying to ignore Jareth as he replaced Roland.

"You know, you really are making quite a mess of your duties."

She was about to tell him where he could stick her duties when he continued.

"Well, at least I won't have to suffer through your bad manners much longer. I'm ready to make my announcement."

He plucked her hand from his shoulder and pulled her along after him. She felt a familiar discomfort at the attention she got as she trotted along behind him. Not missing the chance, however, to enjoy the feel of his satiny gloves once more, smoothing her thumb unconsciously over his, appreciating the sensation of the warmth radiating from his hand.

He released her abruptly as they approached the mysterious woman from earlier and he took the woman's hand into the crook of his arm. Leading her up onto the balcony that overlooked the dance floor, everyone feel silent.

"Thank you all for the superb evening, but I'm afraid the night will be a short one for me. You may all enjoy the festivities as long as you like. Carriages will be arranged for your departure at anytime you wish tomorrow."

He swept from the room with the woman on his arm. Sarah stayed rooted in her spot, watching them leave and rubbing her fingers together to fight of the sudden cold that lingered.

Maery appeared beside her with a mischievous grin. "Scandalous! The night isn't even over and so many promised dances left unfulfilled. I can't wait for the rumors."

Sarah turned to her curiously.

Maery continued, "I don't remember that woman's name, but I've seen her at the high court a lot. I think she works for Jareth's parents. I bet he doesn't know that, he hasn't visited in ages. I always tell him he's falling out of the loop. I bet his parents sent her, they're probably as tired as everyone else waiting for him to choose someo…."

Sarah stopped listening and was gazing out at the hallway the couple had vanished down.

"… she's a beauty though. You know what?" Maery's head tilted sideways into Sarah's line of sight. "She looks kinda like you really."


	11. Playthings

Playthings

11

* * *

A few days after the ball, Sarah was finally able to relax as the last guests made their departures. A few were very loud, unhappy departures. The rhythm of daily activity returned to normal and Sarah had seen both too much and not enough of Jareth and his strumpet named Devinee since they waltzed out of the ballroom. The same ballroom that had inexplicably disappeared the next time she'd gone looking for it.

Sarah had been trying her hardest not to follow the couple around. She was itching to tell Jareth the woman worked for his parents, but she'd change her mind and keep convincing herself it didn't matter, not if he truly liked the woman. Then the next moment she'd be telling herself if he liked her, telling him may stop him from liking her,b thoughts soon followed by telling herself not to care if he liked her, it's not her business.

Roland was sharp, but he could have been the dullest arrow in the quiver and still noticed a preoccupied air about Sarah. He'd since been going out of his way to distract her. "Would you like to go down to the garden? With all the cleaning from the ball it's been stuffy in-"

Sarah spotted the edge of a skirt flash from around the corner. She knew the only other female left in the castle that wasn't a goblin was Devinee. She wasn't sure if it was the fact that Devinee was gorgeous that bothered her, or if it was that like Maery had pointed out, she looked like a more beautiful version of Sarah.

Breaking her stride, she made a quick goodbye to Roland and dashed after the flash of dress. The hallway was empty by the time she rounded the corner so she walked until she heard voices. Pressing her ear against the door she heard feminine laughter and wanted to break the door down. Not wanting to leave but aware that Jareth had a knack for knowing when someone was nervously hovering outside of a door, she paced a few feet down the hall. When the chatter from the room died down and no one exited, images of all the naughty activities that could possibly be happening behind the door that she would rather not be imagining flashed into her head. Spurred on in horror, she leapt to the door and swung it open after a very feeble, rushed knock.

"Do you need something?" Devinee asked hotly over her shoulder. She was sitting facing away from Sarah, posed provocatively on the edge of a desk over Jareth who was seated in an armchair. Jareth watched her with more curiosity, but less surprise than Devinee.

Sarah blinked. "Um, I'm just here to tidy up." She bustled over to couch and prodded the cushions. "It's my job after all," she called over her shoulder to the pair watching her.

"Surely you could do that some other time," Devinee complained.

"Nope, my schedule is meant to be followed to the very letter." She grabbed a rag and began polishing the desk the woman occupied, forcing Devinee to hop down.

Jareth uncrossed his legs and slowly stood from across the desk. "I don't remember you ever cleaning this room at any specific time," he noted with a hint of amusement in his voice. "Good to know you take your job so seriously Sarah."

He held his arm out to Devinee and led her to the door. Once they'd gone, Sarah tossed the rag onto the desk and collapsed back into the warm armchair, shaking her head.

"Jareth love," Devinee purred as they walked, "I really think you should handle your staff more firmly, in the high court servants are rarely seen and never heard."

He patted her hand as it curled around his arm. "Things are more easygoing around here."

"Yes but that Sarah in particular, she's up to no good."

"And why would you claim that?" He peered out a window and caught sight of Sarah, who had skulked back to Roland's side. The two sat companionably in the royal garden.

"They're always together; I think they must be sweet on one another. You should fire her, I find it highly inappropriate to develop relationships in the work place."

His eyebrow quirked. "I see."

"Oh most definitely inappropriate!" She waved a hand around as she spoke. "And I, for one, find it very undermining…"

Jareth smirked to himself as he led the chatting woman down the hall.

.

"Sarah?"

Sarah peered up from her side of the stone bench where she had been daydreaming about telling Jareth about Devinee. "Yes?"

"You're gonna hate me for this but in my defense I was tired and frustrated last night and let it spill. I don't usually get like that but something must have set me off last night."

"What is it Roland?"

"Everyone knows, about you."

She hesitated, "You mean, they know everything."

Roland nodded mutely.

A gasp of air left her lungs and she squeezed her eyes shut. "Their reaction?"

"Everyone's stunned. Jonis got angry thinking about all the those lost in the sickness. Avery got sad thinking about his mother and unborn sister."

"About what I expected. So they all hate me?"

Roland was quiet, his face pained.

"I thought so."

"They just need time to digest. It's hard to suddenly have a face to put to the story, to have someone to blame. Just give them time. Devon, actually, she's here. She wants to talk."

Sarah sighed, "Alright, I'll talk to her of course. I want to set things right."

He took her wrist and gently led her across the garden to the gate she had first entered by.

"She's here, at the castle?" Sarah asked, startled. "I thought she never came here?"

Roland shook his head. "It's a mystery to me as well." He swung the heavy door open and there stood the angelic girl with Mr. Floret behind her, a hand on her shoulder.

"Devon… Mr. Floret!" Sarah exclaimed as she spotted the surprise visitor.

"Sarah my dear." He came forward to embrace her. "It's been lonely at the shop without you."

"I'm sorry, things came up. I can't work there anymore."

"Don't worry dear, I know."

Sarah turned to Devon who was looking her up and down, searching for visible signs that she should have seen that would prove Sarah was the girl from the stories.

"You really beat the Labyrinth?"

Sarah nodded stiffly. She steadied herself and waited for the rest, the part where Devon would get angry.

"That's wonderful. I wish I could be like you."

Sarah frowned and shared a confused glance with Roland.

"I'd give anything to be able to beat the royal fey, to fight for my family too." Devon stepped forward and took Sarah's arms into her hand's feverish grip. "You have to help me, teach me how to fight them." Her light voice trembled with passion as she spoke.

Mr. Floret's hand returned to Devon's shoulder and she released Sarah and bowed her head. "I'm sorry, it's just that my family... My mother-"

"I know," Sarah interrupted.

Devon looked up at her and nodded. "So you'll help me?"

Sarah gazed back into those hopeful eyes and couldn't think of a single way to help her. "I don't know of anything I can do."

"Jareth, he can make it happen. I hate to say it but he's the one I need. You beat him once so you have power over him."

"I have no power over him once so ever!" Sarah blurted out, incredulous. "He controls my every move."

"He tries to," Roland allowed, "But you get away with denying him what he wants constantly. You were never even reprimanded for constantly disobeying him at the ball."

"Being brought back to his side was the punishment," she insisted under her breath.

Devon shook her head. "No one else would dare be so difficult with him. You hold control, you just don't realise. I need you to put it to use."

"That's not control! He does what he wants I don't control that."

Floret smiled. "Ah, but you can affect what he wants."

The three looked to him in unison.

"Jareth is simply stuck in the middle of this feud between his parents and his sister." He wrapped a comforting arm around Devon's shoulders. "He wants to help them; it would only take a little prodding to get him to take action."

"But I don't know how to influence him to do anything!"

"It shouldn't be difficult, he has the power to help them whether he realizes it or not. He just needs someone to light the fire within him to fight."

"I think that would work." Roland piped in.

"What? Why?" Sarah was starting to feel ganged up on.

He smiled at her. "I'm observant, that's why."

"If Roland thinks you can do it then I think so too, he's never wrong about these things Sarah. You must help me!"

Flustered and confused, Sarah didn't know what to say, but she'd do her best even if she wasn't sure what her best would be doing. "Of course, I'll try."

Devon treated her to a warm hug.

.

Roland had his fingers laced with hers and was guiding a still dazed Sarah through the halls. Devon had assured her everyone else was a little shell shocked by the news but would come around from it eventually and wouldn't hold anything against her, not when they were all already friends. But at the moment Sarah was more worried about dealing with Jareth.

As the two rounded a corner they saw Jareth and Devinee sauntering towards them. At the sight of them, Devinee clung tighter to Jareth with a smug expression. As they neared, Roland bowed slightly in greeting.

"Sir."

Sarah, who'd never bothered to so much as curtsy for the king since she'd arrived, just stared as she tried to process all of the new information she'd been force fed.

"See," Devinee hissed in a mock whisper, "They're relationship is breeding disrespect, she doesn't even greet you."

Sarah's brow puckered in confusion and she felt Roland quickly slip his hand from hers. She blinked, not having realized it had been there in the first place.

An eyebrow quirk was all the reaction Jareth managed as he led them around the younger couple without a word. Frowning, Sarah wondered what he was thinking. He didn't appear to care that they'd been holding hands, but last night he wouldn't even let them speak without whisking her away. Devinee must be working her seducing magic on him, maybe she should tell him about Devinee's secret after all. She felt a tug at her elbow and looked at Roland.

"What did you do? He seemed really cold."

She shook her head.

"Well, it'd be best to fix it, maybe apologize for last night. You need his help, which you won't get if he's angry."

.

Sarah roamed the castle by herself, doing chores when Peggy caught up with her. She'd been trying to figure out why Jareth was ignoring her, how to fix, and how to then influence him to help Devon when Peggy popped up from behind her and pushed her into a new room to clean. Looked like she had to start putting her non-existent plan into action without the opportunity to really think it through because Jareth was in the room they'd just entered. She industriously wiped tables and aligned books, being the best maid she could so as to give him nothing to complain about.

"How has your day been Sarah?" Jareth asked nonchalantly.

She nodded mutely, not sure what to say and wanting to not put herself further onto his bad side by saying something stupid.

"Not talking?" He asked, examining her face. "Why so scared?"

Her eyes widened, but she didn't respond, swirling her cloth unnecessarily across a table.

"Still nothing? Am I so very frightening?"

She shook her head rapidly. "My mind is very, um, occupied sir."

"Sir?" he rolled the word around in his mouth. "That's extraordinary coming from you."

"I apologize for the past, I'll be more appropriately behaved from now on sir." She turned to leave and hastily turned back to him. "Oh, and sorry for being a pain last night."

Jareth frowned as she bowed and left the room. Once down the hall Sarah let out a sigh of relief. That was the nicest she'd treated him since she'd arrived and she was feeling unsure of the effectiveness of her plan. Doubting that all it would take to get him to help would be a few days of acting like a perfect servant. For Devon's sake she hoped it worked anyways and that she wouldn't break down and do something unfortunate, like cuss him out.

Devinee happened to pass by Sarah in the hall, the younger girl scurrying off at the sight of her and leaving her staring between the spot she left and the door to the room she knew Jareth inhabited. Going in she found him standing beside the window, looking perplexed.

"What is it my dear? What troubles you?"

With a hand he waved the query away. "It's nothing, my mind is just very-" He chuckled. "Occupied at the moment."

"Was it that servant girl? I saw her standing outside a moment ago, like a statue."

"Yes, she's has been acting strangely." He spun around to her. "But I'm sure it's nothing. Perhaps I'll speak with her about it later."

Her eyes widened. "Talk to her? Why don't you just dismiss her like I suggested. I think you'd be better off."

Jareth stood for a moment, searching her face quizzically. "Perhaps I shall." He shook his head, to clear his thoughts. "Come, let's eat."

.

Sarah had bustled down to the kitchen to meet up with Roland immediately after her encounter. He saw her bothered expression and rushed over to her.

"How's it going?"

"I don't know. I tried to be nice and polite but he just stared at me like I was growing a horn." she said, exasperated. To her surprise Roland looked amused.

"It's isn't as if you've been little Miss Manners before today." He squeezed her shoulder. "Give it time, he'll warm to it eventually."

"Yeah, but it doesn't take too long."

"Come on you two the food's getting cold!" Peggy hollered as she sped past.

Sarah stared, bewildered.

Roland nudged her and grabbed a platter. "You're helping me serve Jareth and his guest, Jonis didn't come to work today."

Sarah's face fell.

"Don't worry about it, he'll be alright by tomorrow. I'll talk to him when I get back to the valley tonight."

She nodded and grabbed a second platter to follow him out.

"Stop frowning," he whispered, "you don't want to look like it's aggravating to have to bring them their food."

As she walked into the dining hall she was surprised to see that the grand table had been replaced with a more intimate, smaller set up. Realizing she wasn't sure who she should be serving she waited to see Roland set his platter down near Devinee before she rushed forward, setting hers down in front of Jareth and moving to leave. She was stopped by a hand around her wrist.

"You're not finished Sarah," Jareth chided softly, amused.

Looking around she saw Roland taking the plates off of the serving platter and arranging them on the table.

"Oh," she muttered under her breath as she turned copied him. She heard an impatient sound from the other end of the table.

"Jareth how can you stand this from a servant? She's always bumbling around every time I see her, she doesn't even know what she's doing!"

Jareth grinned faintly as he gazed up at Sarah's reddening face. "I'm afraid she gets a pass for this one Devinee, I never intended to use her in the dining hall and so never bothered to train her."

"You're too easy on her," Devinee huffed.

"Perhaps."

Sarah's face burned hotter while she tried not to verbally lash out at the pair. Jerkily thudding the plates onto the table, she shivered involuntarily when Jareth spoke again in a hushed tone and his warm, pleasant breath tickled her cheek.

"I'm afraid dear, that is not the proper placement of those dishes," he whispered.

Freezing, she frantically looked to Roland's side of the table and began rearranging the plates once more.

"Hmm," his voice rumbled, "much better."

As she stood she looked up at him. She had felt him staring at her the whole time and, despite her vow to be a good girl, she couldn't help but glare daggers at him before strutting away.

In response to his amused chuckle, Devinee chided him, "Why do you treat her like that? I've never seen anyone treat a servant like that, she's out of control and you just let her-"

Sarah rushed back into the kitchen and right past Roland who had already finished and had been leaning against the wall beside the door, waiting for her.

"I knew he was treating you differently, even Devinee noticed and she just got here."

Reloading her daggers, she glared at him too, but he just grinned.

"Sorry, I should have told you about the proper placement but you were late getting to the kitchen."

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter, that woman has it in for me."

"At least Jareth doesn't look as if he's mad anymore. Seemed to be in a good mood even."

"He's always like that when I'm unhappy," she huffed exasperated.

"What?"

"Nothing. Hey, I think I'll come with you to go talk to everyone. I don't want Jonis missing work because he's upset with me."

He looked at her, worried. "You want to leave? I thought you had to stay here."

"Like you said, Jareth doesn't really punish me for anything, I might as well see how much I can get away with. Anyways, I gotta set things right with everyone. Please, Roland," she pleaded.

"I don't think it's a good idea since you're trying to get on Jareth's good side but," he sighed, "yeah, okay."

.

When the pair entered the tavern Sarah felt a pang of homesickness, it had been so long since she'd been here. She spotted her old friends at their usual table and the homesickness was overrun with worry.

She turned to Roland. "What do I say?" she panicked.

"I don't know Sarah." He shook his head sadly as they walked to the table.

Somber faces turned to her, Devon and Ashlen offering up small smiles. Avery's gaze was confused and Jonis wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I can't believe you're her," Avery said.

Sarah laughed to herself. "Neither can I."

Avery grinned wearily. "It's okay Sarah, I came to peace with what happened a long time ago. It's just weird to think I know the girl that beat the Labyrinth."

She nodded and looked to Jonis who finally returned her gaze.

"I almost lost a brother when you won and the whole Underground subsequently fell into chaos. Seeing everyone's family dropping like flies, almost losing my baby brother, it was devastating."

Avery piped in, "She had no control over what happened after she left. She had to try her hardest to save her brother after all."

"I know that! I know..." He sighed. "What about Roland's brother, you're mom and future sister? We had no way to save them. It was just, so frustrating, the helplessness."

Ashlen wrapped her arms around his waist and embraced him tightly. "It's okay now Jonis."

He nodded and leaned into her. "Yeah, it is." He looked up to Sarah. "I just... I needed to say that to you. To whomever the person from that story turned out to be, to tell you nothing happens here without a consequence. To tell you how lucky you were to get your little boy out of here." Jonis nodded to himself. "I don't understand how you ended up back here, but at least I got my chance to say my piece. I can't stay mad at you, you're too nice."

They spent the rest of the evening listening to Sarah tell them about her adventures through the Labyrinth. Eventually the warm feelings of belonging she felt when she first started hanging out with them returned and the tension dissipated.

.

Sarah closed the door leading from the garden into the castle and checked around a corner before making her way to her room. She'd made it all the way to the door of her bedroom when someone spotted her.

"The name's Sarah, isn't it darling? I see you're retiring. May I come in? I'd like to have a word." Devinee said as she waltzed past Sarah into her bedroom.

Sarah followed, unsettled. Once inside, Devinee turned on Sarah, a pissed look covered her face.

"Who are you? What are you to Jareth?" she spat. "I find the way he treats you to be very inappropriate. If you worked for me I'd have beaten you by now for how clumsily you bumble around this place."

Sarah stared wide-eyed, frozen.

Devinee paced around her. "I'm not stupid little girl, I know what's going on here. You disappear and all he can talk about is where you might be, what might have happened to you." She leaned down face to face. "I can have you snatched from here to never see the likes of this place again. You think just because Jareth seems to have a soft spot for you that you can wrap him around your ugly little human finger? What you should know is no matter what, he will end up with the likes of me."

Sarah wasn't sure what reaction the crazed woman saw in her face, but Devinee let out a cackle.

"Don't like that do you?" She sauntered to the door and turned back. "Stay out of my way."

Sarah bristled, Devinee had no idea Sarah knew the secret of who had sent her. She could end this woman's threat if she told, if Jareth would even believe her.

To both of their surprise, Jareth appeared in the doorway.

"Sarah! You thoughtless child, where have you been? How dare you disappear from this castle without my knowledge." He swept past Devinee and grabbed Sarah by her shoulders and gave her a shake. "Just because you made it through this world once without harm does not mean you would be able to safely do so now."

His heavy breathing was loud in the following silence. Devinee stepped towards them looking bewildered.

"What is this Jareth? Why so concerned for her?"

Jareth turned to he, surprised to see her there and annoyed by the interruption. "Devinee-"

"I will have her removed Jareth, this is unsuitable how she behaves and in turn the behavior you let happen, especially considering she skulks around with that boy," Devinee hissed.

"Shall I remove you Sarah?" He slowly turned back to gaze down at Sarah. "Perhaps it would be best." His eyes flashed.

Sarah shook her head feverishly. "No, you don't understand, she's... she's not who she says she is!" She leaned forward as far as Jareth's rigid grip on her would allow and whispered, "She was sent here by your parents, she's not here led her own wishes."

Jareth closed his eyes slowly, luxuriantly, and smirked. "Very good Sarah," he murmured.

"Don't think I didn't hear what the little strumpet said, she's lying! I'm here because I love-"

He swept around to face Devinee. "Leave immediately Devinee, and tell my parents to try harder the next time they want to send someone to play me like a puppet."

Devinee stood with her mouth agape for a moment. "No, Jareth! She's lying!" Devinee shrieked once she processed what had been said.

"Do you really think I am blind to what goes on in my own household?"

Devinee and Sarah stared at him uncomprehending.

"I know to what extent Sarah and Roland's relationship goes, I've always kept a close watch."

Sarah's eyebrows rose at the revelation and Devinee frowned, glaring at her.

"Just as I knew what and who you were the moment you accused them and wouldn't stray from the subject for even a moment. Sarah is not your romantic competition Devinee, I know that's what my parents have told you." He turned and waved at Sarah nonchalantly. "She's just a servant. I walked out of the ball with you didn't I? That should have been enough for you, but you kept at her. Only my parents have ever been so adamant about me leaving what happened in the past in the past, only they would go through so much trouble to rid me of who they believe to be my tormentor."

"Your tormentor?" Devinee question, momentarily thrown, then comprehension dawned. "So she's the girl that won the Labyrinth?" Devinee reexamined Sarah. "That's all the more reason she shouldn't be here, I thought their distaste for her was merely because she is not of our blood, but if she is _that_ girl, then it is truly too absurd to allow you to continue to develop feelin-"

Jareth abruptly tossed one of his magical spheres at her and she disappeared mid word. Sarah heard a shriek from deep in the castle, a jarring contrast to the sudden silence in the room.

He chuckled and looked over his shoulder at her. "What a brat, but what could I expect? Only the best from my parents." He sneered. "I suppose for some reason they thought I would find her attractive with her dark hair, light skin, stubborn and unyielding personality. Funny thing that." He turned fully to the speechless Sarah, smug, seeing a resemblance he knew she did not. "Couldn't stand to see me with her?"

"What?" asked Sarah, stunned by the exchange that had just transpired.

"All this time I wondered if you might truly despise me." He began to circle her. "You're smart; you must be to have beaten my Labyrinth. I knew you'd figure her out for yourself. What I didn't know was whether you'd warn me of the treachery. After all, if all your temper was more than just hot air you would have happily let me walk into a relationship that so clearly would led me down a path of unhappiness, would you not?" A hand came from behind her and swept her hair over her shoulders. "But you spilled her secret me and saved me the pain, very interesting," his last word was spoken softly, into her ear as he passed, gliding towards the door.

She shook her head. "It's not like that," she insisted, "I don't know what you're alluding to, I had no motives."

"I think it is like that Sarah, you've just admitted it. But what you should be worried about isn't that I know your secret, it's what wrath Devinee will bring into our lives when she returns to court."

"I have no secrets! I haven't admitted anything!" Sarah hurled at his back.

He turned from the doorway. "You've always been decidedly easy for me to read Sarah, waiting for you to _confess_ as it were, was more for your sake than mine."

* * *

A/N:Well? What do you think? pls review, constructive suggestions are my fav~


	12. Coming Together

Coming Together

12

* * *

It took hours before Sarah finally fell asleep that night. Like a thunderstorm, Devinee had thrown a tantrum that rattled the walls of the massive stone castle. Her screaming pierced the stonewalls and her throwing anything she could find sent shivers rippling through the floor to shake her bed. Glad she didn't have to handle the outrageous behavior, Sarah couldn't imagine what Jareth had done to finally convince the woman to finally subside her rant and depart. Even when quiet once again swept the castle, her ears continued to ring, but not with the remnants of Devinee's screams. Instead she heard the threats from Devinee and insinuations from Jareth coalescing into the forefront of her thoughts. What had she revealed to him? Nothing, he was simply manipulating her thinking. She was just looking out for his well being, she had no other motive in that moment of excitement when she'd spilled Devinee's secret.

.

Sarah couldn't remember falling asleep, but she must have because she found herself waking up. As she felt the world lazily materialize around her, the room that appeared wasn't the one she'd fallen asleep in. It was a room made of fantasies, swathed in elegant fabrics from floor to ceiling, her bed posts carved from white marble. It was all too elegant to exist anywhere but in dreams. With a bang, that somehow failed to change the image into something more realistic, Peggy bustled in.

"Oh, so it's true! You really be in here!" she tittered excitedly.

Sarah blinked. "Where's here? Its not a dream?"

"Oh it might as well be me dear-y! But no, this room is real and you really in it! Come down from there and let ole Peggy get princess girl dressed up."

Sarah slid down from her bed, almost tumbling off when she shot off at an alarming speed. Pulling herself to her feet she smoothed a hand across the silky texture of the bed sheets, then fingered the slippery silk material of her new nightdress as she shook her head numbly. "Um, so the usual chores today then?"

"Chores? Oh dear-y me you ain't got a chore in the world!"

"Pardon?"

Peggy nodded briskly as she helped Sarah change into a much fancier dress than any she remembered being provided with before. "You're a guest now! I dunno how ya dunnit but I'd appreciate ya sharin' the knowledge." Peggy chirped with a wink. "Come on ya chit, breakfast."

Peggy escorted her to the dinning hall, where Sarah had served Jareth and Devinee just the evening before. Already seated was Jareth and before him sat a table full of breakfast morsels.

"Sit Sarah, it is awkward to have you hovering like that." Jareth called from his seat.

"What's going on?" she demanded halfheartedly. She wasn't so stupid as to try too hard to burst the unbelievably plush bubble her life had suddenly become.

A smile crept across his face. "Things have changed."

"Why? Because of last night?"

His eyebrow quirked at her defiant tone. "Back to being stubborn are we? Or is this unintentional idiocy?"

Sarah clenched her teeth and took her seat. She remained unmoving while he watched her.

"Hmm, and I thought after last night the ice, as some put it, would be broken between us."

She looked up at him silently, confused and mistrusting.

He smirked back at her. "Perhaps the hole has glazed over in the night."

"What will happen to Devinee?" asked Sarah, tactlessly changing the subject.

His face pinched slightly in distaste. "I've sent her home, but not to worry, I'm sure she'll be back before we get the chance to properly begin missing her."

Sarah stared down at her plate. "Why did you send her away? I thought you liked her? If you knew all along that she was sent by your parents, and yet chose her anyway-"

Jareth leaned forward. "It's amazing. I, for the life of me, can't tell if you're being daft intentionally or not. I know you were present during the whole conversation last night, I now you were awake, yet you act as if you have absorbed nothing of what was said."

She remembered all to well what had been said. The two fantastical beings had spat and hissed at each other, about each other and about her.

Jareth sat silent for awhile, waiting for a response that did not come. "Devinee wasn't what I had hoped she would be. In fact she didn't live up to my hopes longer than ten steps out of the ballroom. I knew what she was but I gave her the chance anyway. I always give everyone their fighting chance, Sarah."

She couldn't argue with that, though she happily would have the first time they met. "So, no marriage."

His lips quirked. "It has eluded me thus far."

"But your parents want-"

He slapped down his silverware, making Sarah jump. "My parents have little control over how I live my life," he interrupted stiffly, his face had gone blank.

"They don't want me here," she urged.

He looked over at her as he calmly resumed eating. "It's what I desire that matters."

She was silent for a heartbeat. "What do you desire?"

"Something not so distance from what you desire Sarah."

She frowned at him. "And what is it you think I desire?"

He grinned secretively, spoke sensuously. "Desire is an uncontrollable emotion Sarah."

She blushed at the heat in his words and implied understanding of her. "Then what do I desire Jareth? What is it we both desire?" her voice rose as she became more agitated. Her discomfort expressing itself as anger.

He considered her agitation before answering, seeing her bristling he couldn't help himself but to poke at her. "No, telling you would be no fun. I want to watch you struggle to realize and accept it."

"You're sadistic and most likely wrong," she spat.

He laughed, the rich sound disrupted when the heavy door to the dinning hall creaked open and a goblin rushed to Jareth's side.

"I know already," Jareth grumbled as he waved the goblin away before he could transfer the message.

The miserable creature wrung its hands. "But she's already forced her way inside, she's on her way-"

The doors were slammed back as Devinee stormed in, causing Sarah to jump to her feet and the goblin to scurry away.

"Ah Devinee, we were expecting you." Jareth greeted as he carefully set down his utensils and turned to face her.

"Don't toy with me Jareth," she spat, "my orders are clear and you cannot stop me. Sarah, you are to come with me by order of the High Court."

Sarah frowned in confusion.

"You are mine now girly," she said with much pleasure. "I've always wanted a human servant. Jareth had his chance with you and wasted it, I won't be so easy on you."

Sarah glanced to Jareth who stood stone still facing the intruder, his energy focused solely on Devinee. When Devinee moved to grab at Sarah, Jareth was suddenly there, hand pressed to her chest, it's position pointedly drawing attention to the closeness of her throat.

"I hope you don't presume to come into my home and order me and mine around Devinee," his voice emanating as a low rumble.

She glared up at him, unperturbed by his had. "You heard me. I have royal approval, my actions are sanctioned." Her delicately fingers rose to cup Jareth's clenched jaw. "You can't protect her Jareth, not from them," she whispered sweetly.

He leaned down to her ear, his hand simultaneously sliding to rest on her throat. "Watch me." He pushed and sent her flying backwards into one of her accompanying guards.

"Jareth!" Sarah screamed in horror at the inhuman show of strength.

He went to her, lightning fast, gripping her hand. "She's fine darling, she'll not even have a bruise." He held up a glittering crystal. "I have a promise to protect." He gazed intently at her face which was turned away looking at Devinee rising from a crumpled heap. "You must look at me Sarah, in the eyes."

It took her two tries but she finally stared into his intense gaze and held it.

"There's a good girl," he praised warmly.

He pressed the orb into their clasped hands and Sarah blinked rapidly up at him as she felt her body being transported. Suddenly he released her grip with sly smile and walked away. Around them floated masses of glittering crystal balls.

"They're beautiful,"she murmured, gazing around. She turned searching for Jareth, spotting him hunched beside the largest sphere in the room where it rested in the embrace of metallic twigs swirling to form a nest.

"Tell them they will speak to me immediately!" He shouted at the globe, hands tightening around the edge of the nest, knuckles white.

Sarah jerked back from where she'd slowly drifted to his side. She peaked over his shoulder to see the face of a nervous man scurrying away.

"Who are you trying to get a hold of?" she whispered hesitantly, startled by his angry demeanor. He'd been upset downstairs but it had been tempered by his playfulness, now he was simply angry.

"My parents," he spat.

"About Devinee?"

He closed his eyes and shook his head wearily. "No, about you," he sighed.

"So... that I won't have to go to them?"

He turned to her quizzically, wearily. "Do you wish to go to such brutes that would employ the likes of Devinee?" he asked with mild sarcasm.

"Actually, I've made sure not to wish for anything since I've gotten her."

After a pause, Jareth erupted into laughter.

Sarah fidgeted with her hands. She hadn't meant it to be funny, she'd earnestly monitored what she said. She respected the power of wishes and words and their devastating effects and planned to never fall into a trap by using them without thought or even at all.

Jareth quieted observed her keenly until a cough came from the globe and they both started and looked down.

"Not to disturb the moment, but you were quite adamant to speak with us immediately my child."

Sarah peaked over Jareth's shoulder and saw, as she'd expected, a quite beautiful, regal couple gazing back.

"I've taken an issue with an order you've made of me mother."

"Oh?" the Queen mother asked with a raise of a delicately blond eyebrow. "It wouldn't be about the strumpet standing much too close to you would it?"

Sarah jerked back, and took a few steps away to be sure she was out of view. Strumpet, she didn't deserve that.

"Mother, I have a raging woman downstairs to deal with and I'd like to have these issues settled quickly before she tears my home apart."

"It doesn't sound as it you are in a situation any different than a thousand that came before," a masculine voice chimed in.

Jareth couldn't help but grin at his father. "I suppose not, but those women were never here under your command, it complicates the affair."

"Oh Jareth, did you not enjoy her company? We picked her very carefully, she is quite lovely when not enraged."

"Although to be honest," the King piped in, "Most creatures can be described as such."

Jareth shook his head in teh way of the long suffering. "Call her off, I beg of you."

"Not a problem my son," Jareth's father chirped jovially. "If her task is complete you'll never have to see her again."

Jareth's had no response but silence.

"As I suspected-"

"As you suspected," interrupted the queen exasperatedly. "You saw the girl sanding there just as clearly as I yet you _insist _and draging it out."

"What do you want of me? I enjoy these rare talks with my son!"

Jareth spoke clear and strong over the squabbling voices of his parents. "She is not yours to control."

"Jareth," scolded his mother in a chiding tone.

"No, she belongs, as does everything else in this kingdom, to me. It is clearly stated in the oath I took as a boy when I came into power. You have no power over her."

Sarah blinked at the familiarity of the phrase. No power over her. Over and over it came up, no power over her. No one had power over her it seemed, not even herself. She didn't feel in control of anything.

"You think we will just let her roam freely around the Underground even though she made her choice? She choose to return Jareth, she did not choose you, she did not choose the Underground, she chose her previous life. It is not a decision to be taken so lightly that a few short years later she can prance back in with no consequences, she has trying to have it both ways. She is making a fool of you Jareth and you just sit there and let her."

Sarah could see Jareth physically bristling, even though when she looked at his face it was blank and composed. She had to admit, it was an impressive trick.

"Mother-"

"Get that child back at the very least!"

"No!" Sarah yelled, panicking when she realized they meant Toby.

Jareth's face moved almost imperceptibly in her direction, but his focus remained on the image in the globe. A hand shot out to gently cup her arm and deter any further outburst.

"I have already worked out her payment mother, the one she must fulfill in exchange for her return."

"Not from what I've heard," His mother said disapprovingly.

After a moment of silence, Jareth's voice took on a tone of strength and accusation. "Do you choose now to strip me of my powers mother? To debase me and return me to the years of my youth? My kingdom is solid and strong and I have run it well. Do you deny my ability?"

There was silence from the other end.

"Trust me to handle this. You are right, our deal struck at her departure from the Underground still stands and we are both bound to it. But it means you could no more take her from me than I could your people from you."

"We understand Jareth, we just worry you will take this too far with her."

Their voices lowered so that Sarah could not hear, when she moved forward Jareth pressed her back to as far as his arm could extend.

"I have restraint-"

"It is weak with her, you cannot deny it. You may be king now but you are still our son and we know you well. She is not good for you or your kingdom."

His face tightened stubbornly in the familiar way it had when he was a child. "You know me, but you do not know her."

"She is human."

"See what she has done here!" he hissed. "The Labyrinth was defeated, then using only her own power she returns, undetected. If she were one of us you would adore her for her skills, her accomplishments. Her's is a power not to be taken lightly."

"She is a young, lucky human," his mother quipped.

"She is compelling and resilient, I have seen it first hand," he assured.

His mother sighed. "Have you not grown out of this stubbornness?" her voice returning to a normal level.

"It serves me well mother."

She searched his face. "You already know you have won, your agreement is binding. Send Devinee back."

Jareth sighed and sank into himself as the crystal cleared, his head coming to rest on its surface. "You will be staying here."

"Because... of the deal? The deal I turned down when I left?" She had heard of course, she was only an arms length away after all.

"You did not turn it down, you chose the other option. When you returned you automatically switched to exist as if you had chosen the other option. You are safe from them because of that agreement. Bargains hold fast here, even a bargain of words."

"You are a man of rules and promises."

"I have to be, or the Labyrinth would be chaos."

"Would you have fought for me even if the bargain had not been struck, obligating you to protect me?."

He didn't answer, releasing her arm. When it became clear he had no intention to reply, Sarah was forced to face an issue that had been pressing her mind.

"I heard you, ya know."

Jareth had his eyes closed and was rhythmically massaging his jaw.

She almost lost the guts to continue, but didn't. She had to have his response, it was gnawing at her since he'd said it.

"You called me darling," she whispered. Hoping slightly that he might not hear. "Downstairs."

Jareth stilled momentarily, then finally opened his eyes and gazed at her. the slightest of smiles pressing at the corners of his mouth.

"Devinee is downstairs, waiting for the news."

Sarah's body wilted. Jareth eased from the bench and grasped her hand in his, running his thumb over her knuckles. With his other hand he picked a sphere from the air and played with it between his fingers.

"The fight isn't over until Devinee is gone." He squeezed her hand, causing Sarah to look up. "One thing at a time," he whispered, pressing the sphere gently into her lips.

"Jareth you bastard how dare you leave me here! I've come-"

Jareth waved his hand exasperated. "Let it go Devinee! Go home, your orders have been dropped."

She stared at him suspiciously, then glared at their clasped hands. Sarah deftly slid hers out of his and Jareth turned, offering his hand to her once more. Sarah glaredat it, then him, defiantly. She crossed her arms, tucking her hands away.

Devinee chuckled. "She won't be your doting pet Jareth. She won't be all you've built her up to be," she hissed, stalking towards him.

"It's what I expect Devinee, she is her own person."

"She won't be able to satisfy you Jareth."

Sarah suddenly ducked between the two, stepping up to face Devinee. "You don't know me Devinee. You're so ridiculous, we've never even really talked to each other and you think you can claim all these things about my character."

"You shut up little girl."

"Jareth's not stupid. Stop treating him like a child that doesn't know any better."

"What I have seen of his ruling, I don't think he's much better than a spoiled brat." A glimmer in her eye sparkled as an idea struck her. "I've seen the royal couple's dissatisfaction with you over the years Jareth." her voice calming, growing light and airy.

"That is nothing more than the frustration of any parent when they lose control of their offspring's every action."

A grin darkened her face as her voice grew sickly sweet. "You would like to think so wouldn't you, but you have not heard them first hand. I have. They would be weak to propositions from someone more capable that wished to replace you."

Jareth stared at her in disbelief. "Surely you don't mean yourself Devinee. You madness surely can reach only so far."

"My _madness _has a way of getting me what I want. I got all the way here from the dregs of fey society didn't I?"

Jareth nodded. "Your are resolute in your pursuits, yes."

"Do you know the first thing I would do? I would deal with that human loving sister of yours."

"Devinee!" Jareth roared.

"What a horrible attribute to run in a royal fey family. Tainting herself, a fey princess, with the company of a human," she spat the last at Sarah. "She degrades us all, and you, following so closely in her footsteps."

"Your threats will get you no where Devinee,"Jareth spoke wearily. "They have never come true in the past and they will not start now."

Devinee stalked towards him. "Think of all the fun I could have in your place. Those idiot humans making their wishes, I would have fun with them. The Labyrinth would be my playground."

Jareth's face looked ill at her words. "I would die before letting you harm any human who ran my Labyrinth, they are children, not toys!" His rumbling voice scathing.

Sarah looked to him in surprise, his protectivness unexpected.

Devinee grinned. "It would be so-much-fun." She punctuated each word with a finger to his chest.

Sarah's skin crawled at the thought of Devinee as Goblin Queen. She was tired of this insanity and worried that the threats were not as empty as Jareth was assuming they were.

"He's the Goblin King for god's sake!" Sarah cried desperately, hoping to break up the constant bickering. Maybe Jareth would come to his senses and strike her down where she stood. "Treat him properly."

Devinee spun to Sarah. "For now he is."

"She is right Devinee." Jareth's voice regaining it's usual cool disdain. "For all your hopes to take my place, you do not have it yet. Leave here and darken the room of someone else's home with your musings."

"You know you would not dare kick me out if it were not for-"

"I never had any intention of courting you Devinee. It's time to stop acting as if the throne was snatched out from under you."

Devinee was a head strong, independent woman, but to Sarah's dismay, her face fell in the universal look of a heartbroken woman for just a second. It was quickly overshadowed by the look of slightly mad animosity she had been wearing since she arrived, but they had both seen it.

"I will leave. There is much for me to do at the high court Jareth."

"Best of luck then."

Devinee sneered and spun to storm out as fiercely as she had entered.

* * *

a/n: hi again, meant to get through more of the action in the story than this, but oh well.  
Devinee wouldn't let me.


	13. United We Stand

United We Stand

13

* * *

"Are you worried?" Sarah asked him in the silence after Devinee's departure reached beyond the point she could bare. He had been standing, unmoving, for awhile now. She wondered what troubled his thoughts enough for him to keep silent for so long. Jareth turned slightly, and now Sarah could see a sliver of his face, the lines of it showed his weariness.

"She is a force of a woman, but no real threat. She is not so bold when facing my parents as she is with me. She will have lost most of her bluster on her return trip and will have remembered her proper place by her arrival. She is nothing so consequential to deserve another thought."

Despite his final words she saw he had not banished Devinee from his mind, and neither had she. "She was crazy with hate, but she was beautiful, and your tempers sort of match." She didn't know what was making her say these ridiculous things. She was happy Jareth had not been sucked into the woman's charms, so why was she noting their compatibility now? "I can see what your parents saw when they sent her to you."

"She was my perfect match is your implication?" He turned to her, searching gaze trying to understand the baffling change in her demeanor. "Shall I call her back then?"

"She was-very crazy," she repeated.

A nod and tight smirk were his response.

Eager to change the subject she asked, "Your sister, is she gonna be alright? She's already going through so much, someone should make sure she's safe from Devi-"

"What do you know of my sister? Who has been talking to you?" He turned to her, the full force of his surprise and displeasure radiating off of him.

"I-I know about everything. Devon, her father, I know," she said, her words quieting as his irritation deepened.

"You know-of course you do," he sighed. "You have a way about you of convincing people to trust in you, confide in you. I suppose then, that you know what should be done. I'd be glad to hear some brilliant idea you've concocted," his voice condescending, but his honest desire for a resolution was clear.

So Floret had been right, he did want to do something about the situation, and she'd been worried she'd have to fight to get him to consider the thought.

"Not a clue," she admitted, shrugging her shoulders. She'd been occupied thinking about how she would convince him to comply, she hadn't spared a thought to having an actual plan of attack to propose.

His anger eased at her honesty. He had not expected much from someone who had only recently been introduced to the dilemma, though he had thought that if anyone could come up with a way to needle her way into getting a desired result, it would be her and her fresh perspective. Maybe her reappearance would serve a purpose beyond his amusement. He was pleased, at the very least, to see that she had finally overcome her indomitable tendency to fight him at every turn.

"I have tried in the past to convince them to stop this, but each time was fruitless. When I attempt to contact my sister, they block me, worried perhaps that I will give her ideas for escape. Through all of this mess I've tried to be there for my niece, but she-"

"I know," Sarah interrupted, hearing the strain it put on him to speak about his family's dilemma.

He nodded, returning to his seat he rested his head in his hands, fingers disappearing in his hair. "I do not know how to help my family," he whispered, voice tight.

Sarah gazed, wondrous, at the sight before her. He looked, for once, fragile and imperfect, and so very human. The realization that he was allowing her to witness this moment, to share in his quiet grief warmed her belly and soaked through her limbs to her fingers.

"A solution will come," she assured him, stepping closer. "You should know that Devon is ready to put her faith in you again."

Jareth gazed up at her, hesitant to believe her. "Let me guess, she told you so?" he asked teasingly, but without the strength to accompany his words with a smile.

"People like to tell me things; I suppose I just have a way about me," she said.

He leaned back into his chair and gazed up at her, a twinkle of a smile at the corner of his mouth for a moment before disappearing. "Has she forgiven me?"

"She's perhaps not at that point yet, but she's willing to have faith in you. She wants to forgive you, I think. She wants a family again, but she doesn't want you if she can't have her mother."

"She's not the only one that misses Janael. I know I am no replacement."

"We'll figure something out, I'm sure we will." She moved back, wanting to give him solitude to think when she paused at the door when an idea struck her. "Can I go visit someone in the city?"

He half turned to her, not answering for a handful of moments. "Be back before dusk."

"Deal, I promise."

His nod went unseen as she hurried out the door. He contemplated the bizarre change in how their regard for one another. From the thought a smile was born that seeped all the way into his eyes, dwelling in the short, splendid reprieve from his dark thoughts.

.

Sarah was surprised by how reluctant she felt to leave. Something inside of her knew she was needed in the castle, that the king needed to not be on his own, but she needed to talk to someone about her idea immediately. She had a plan coming together that needed help from everyone she could get to make it happen.

She jogged to the entrance of the flower shop, hesitating as she reached for the door. Man, she'd missed this place. Taking a moment to gaze in the window at the flowers as they shone in the morning sun that reached through the window, she turned to gaze down the street in the direction of Hoggle's house. Fighting off the desire to visit and delay her true purpose, she went into the shop, coming face to face with Mr. Floret and almost jumping out of her skin in surprise.

He laughed at her reaction, glad to see her. He'd missed the company and her absentminded ways and was overjoyed to see once again at his door. "You where standing there for quite awhile Sarah!"

"Was I?" she gasped. "Didn't feel like it."

He patted her on the back as he led her to sit beside him on the stools behind the counter. "Here about Jareth?"

She wilted, remembering her purpose for the visit. "You were right, he wants to help."

Having already known this to be true, he nodded. "He's been trying over and over again since it all happened. He's devoted to his sister and niece, but even with that fire burning within him he has only so much strength to continue to believe in his own ability to help."

"What can we do that hasn't already been done?"

Floret gazed out the window and smiled.

Turning to glimpse what he was seeing all she saw was a street bustling with the usual inhabitants. Turning back she frowned. "What am I missing?"

"Go and get your friends together Sarah. Let's get this organized as soon as possible."

.

They had all gathered in the Tavern. Their table was crowded with the addition of Mr. Floret, but it was hardly felt. Everyone's thoughts focused on the idea that had been slowly developing between them. The king had tried to fix the situation himself multiple times but failed had he not? (This unexpected knowledge momentarily sending a teary Devon outside to digest it alone, it having hit her especially hard.). Why not bring in the forces of not just the king, but his kingdom? They could join together, people and goblin, to fight for the family of their king.

As they discussed, the other patrons soon joined the heated discussion, the whole room buzzing. Within hours the excitement and idea seeped onto the streets and from there it spread like the stench from the bog, clinging and overwhelming. They may just be humans and goblins under rule of magical beings, but they outnumbered the fey, not to mention they were the working backbone of the entire realm and the main reason any project was ever finished. With them threatening rebellion how could they not win?

Yes, they would do it. Tentative plans were taken and fine-tuned at the mayor's office with the input of high ranking goblins, taking into consideration the possible risk to the many populations, after hours of deliberation they all agreed to help. All that needed to be done was to bring the information to the king and begin.

.

When Sarah returned that evening, desperate to speak with Jareth, she was perturbed to be informed that he had locked himself away with orders to not be disturbed. As she searched she had become increasingly anxious to tell him the news and grew worried for his wellbeing, having realized he had been deeply affected by the memories of his. She was intent and not allowing him to wallow in his suffering; surely this news would brighten his spirit.

She had finally, after much frustrating searching, been able to determine which of the many rooms he was holed up in. At the door she was arguing with the goblin guards outside, insisting they let her in. After making no headroom with her pathetic attempts at threats, she finally thought to inform them of the plan, after which she still had to agree to take all responsibility for his anger before they let her in.

"I have an idea," she blurted upon her entrance, walking briskly up to his desk, cheeks flushed with enthusiasm and exertion from her search.

He was sitting in the windowsill, leg propped up with an arm resting on the knee, gazing out into the night. "I doubt it is anything I have not considered before," his voice was projected out into the night and barely audible, forcing her to step closer.

"Threaten them!"

He laughed amicably, turning to her. "Oh Sarah, I expected better from you."

Her skin tingled at the sound of her name combined with his laughter filled voice. "What I mean is, threaten them with the people. They may be the high court, but you are the one in charge of goblins and humans. What do they have? A few fey, hesitant to get their hands dirty. Everyone will boycott the high court to help fix your problem."

"That would be dangerous to them Sarah." His face darkened as he stood from the sill, hands in his pockets as he moved to stand across from her from behind his desk.

"It's a boycott, not a call to fight. Can they be High Court if their subjects have removed themselves from their power?"

"They have control of the flow of magic Sarah. They could use it to harm people."

"Would they really have a protest turn into a war? We outnumber them so overwhelmingly Jareth, they may have the bigger guns but they can't take all of us down with some damage to themselves. You're kind are a very self preserving type, they'd do what was necessary to keep themselves comfortable." she insisted, impassioned.

He frowned as he began to see the truth and possibility in what she said, not wanting to once again put his hope into one of these efforts.

"Let the people help you Jareth. They will if you ask, everyone loves you and they love Devon. Your parents aren't stupid, they'll see the seriousness of the situation. They'll back down."

He looked up at her earnest, confident face. He wanted to show her he was powerful and could protect what he loved, but he had failed before and wasn't sure he could risk failure again, not now with greater risk riding on the endeavor.

Finally he answered, "No."

Shock froze her grin. "What?" she asked, certain she'd misunderstood. Surely he saw the beauty in the plan. It was brilliant, and one of the only things he had never attempted.

"I won't do it. It's out of the question."

Her fervor popped like a balloon. The excitement and determination she'd been about to burst with after creating the plan with the Valley inhabitants drained from her. "I thought you wanted to fix this?"

"This isn't the way." He stated simply, plainly, sitting down at his desk as it all he'd done was reject an idea about a new building project or proposed garden addition.

Infuriated at his dismissal she stalked the last few feet up to his desk, slamming her fists on its polished surface. "This will work!"

He flew from his seat, managing to knock back the heavy wooden chair where he had just settled, causing the ground to tremble when it hit like a crack of thunder.

"I will hear no more of this ridiculous notion!" he roared.

Stunned once more, she squeezed her fists tighter, hissing her next words through a clenched jaw, "This-_will_-work."

"Get-Out." he enunciated slowly, his glare frightening, face tight and raw with fury.

Her skin tingled with his roiling power, his appearance as frightening as she had always imagined he could be, but never witnessed outside of her musings. Her breath came hard, fueled by frustration and disappointment. She gradually pulled away from his desk, staggering slowly backwards as he his head sagged, face turned to the floor. His lone, trembling figure was tiny surrounded by the massive night sky looming in the window to his back. She fumbled for the door, running aimlessly down the hall when she finally got through.

She couldn't understand it. It wasn't as if the plan was complicated. It would work! Why was he being so stubborn, so unreasonable?

She had escaped to the garden with her fuming thoughts, pacing beneath the trees, every now and then glaring up and the glow coming from the windows above.

A rustling in the grass behind her caught her attention and she peered through the darkness to see Peggy cautiously approach.

"Sarah, you're so riled up. Come inside and let's calm you down."

"I don't want to be soothed right now Peggy. I want to hold onto my anger."

"That's not good fer ya."

"I don't think anything in there is good for me." She sighed, reluctantly letting go of her anger and sitting on the bench overlooking the pond.

"What's wrong?"

"Jareth, he's being unreasonable. He won't agree to go with this ingenious plan we've come up with. Peggy, it's such a good idea and he won't even consider it."

"He won't, huh? There must be somethin' wrong wit it then," Peggy surmised simply.

Sarah threw her hands up exasperated at the woman's wholehearted belief in her king. "There isn't! I've been here, thinking it through and I can't see what is holding him back?"

"Well, ask him then."

.

A knock resonated at the office door. He knew it was Sarah. He knew he wanted her company, but he was too exhausted to face that temper. It felt as if he has spent the entire day being screamed at by raven haired beauties. He smiled slightly when the door opened, as if she would be deterred from entering just because she had not been given permission.

"I do not have the strength to repeat myself Sarah. I have had a grueling day."

She hesitantly stepped towards him. "I apologize about earlier. It was an immature reaction."

His eye brow quirked and his eyes narrowed. "What is this about?"

"I want to – ask you why you said no?"

He sighed, if they were to discuss it, at least they were being civil. "You can't expect me to throw my people or my creatures in harm's way like that Sarah. I can't do it so stop expecting the impossible from me."

"Let us fight for her, for you."

"I can't risk it."

"We're willing to risk ourselves, let us."

"No."

"Why?" she pleaded.

He shook his head as if that was enough to shake his troubles away. "I'm responsible for them, for their safety, their happiness, and their lives."

She stared at him in wonder. "But you aren't responsible for every little decision they make. You can't protect them always and forever, and they don't want you to. They want to protect you for once Jareth. Let them pay you back for creating this haven for them just a little bit."

"You know, every child that runs my Labyrinth, I worry for them. 'What if they don't make it?' It's why I have Hoggle working it, the only thing I can to is hinder their progress, but Hoggle can help them, he isn't bound like I am."

"Is that why he was waiting by the entrance when I came?" She was put off by the subject change, but went along with it, curious.

Jareth nodded. "He didn't usually befriend the runners so intimately, but he was practically smitten with you by the end of it." He glanced up to catch her smiling.

"I won because of him," she admitted, reminiscing of their journey together.

"You won because of _you_," he corrected. "Hoggle had helped hundreds of runners before you, and many since. You really are the only conqueror."

"If Hoggle's job is to help people through, why was I the only one to actually do it?"

"The Labyrinth is a wild thing, my control is limited and at times feels nonexistent. Hoggle and I give all the help we are capable of, but when it comes to the bare bones of the situation, every person is truly facing the Labyrinth on their own."

She shook her head as memory came to her. "If you would gladly have everyone beat the Labyrinth, why were you so upset that when I won that your power flickered, or whatever happened, that the whole Underground was contaminated by the sickness?"

He hesitated as he remembered that moment. He had been so thrilled to finally be able to let someone return home, to not be forced to keep yet another two children from their families. Though the joy of that moment had been marred by an unexpected complication, emotions that he had felt begin building as he monitored this newest contestant. Her spitfire style was charming, if immature at moments. When the chance came for the first time in his long life to offer the final choice, he had been stunned to see in her crystal that she had a similar fascination about him, and was further surprised to want her to turn down the choice that she ended up making, the choice he knew was best for her to make.

"I was glad to have finally been able to let someone return, but the high court was not. They were punishing me and I grew weak, causing the sickness. I also had… mixed feelings when you decided to leave at the end, it weakened me."

Her stomach burned at the first statement. She didn't like to hear further confirmation she was the one to blame for the sickness, but at least it wasn't solely her doing. Her stomach cooled and fluttered and the last. Mixed feelings? So joy that she'd get to return home and… what?

"I have hurt my people once before. What kind of ruler would I be if I let them do this for me and they were hurt again?"

"Do you really think this will fail?"

"I think it is brilliant, I believe it is magnificent, but is it worth it?"

"The possible risk of harm worth the chance of a family reunited?"

"It is out of balance."

"Perhaps you think it isn't… fair?" An amused, playful grin painted her face.

He shook his head, running a hand over his face in a failed attempt to hide a smile. "Sarah," he sighed.

"You've done everything you could to create a safe and happy place for everyone to live. You've done so much for them, let them pay you back ."

He shook his head, but Sarah saw his resolution wavering.

"It's what they want." She walked around the desk, crouching down to rest her hand on his, squashing the momentary thrill at the contact with his bare skin rather than leather glove. "Everyone who will be accompanying you, who _wants _to go to the fey forest with you, is waiting for you just downstairs."

He closed his eyes against her penetrating, rich green eyes peering up at him, pleading. Flipping his hand over he squeezed hers.

"Alright," he conceded.

"Yes!" she shot up, wrapping her arms around his neck, then jumping back in embarrassment. "I… I'll just go let everyone know!" She turned and rushed from the room.

He laughed when the last strands of her hair disappeared from the doorway, releasing his pent up tension. Now that the decision was made he was committed to having full faith in it. Maybe this time things would work out. Pressing a hand to his throat, still warm from the contact, he felt certain this time would be different. After all, he had the champion on his side.

.

Sarah paced through the crowd in the tavern, waiting for word. Sir Didymus and Ludo had attempted many times to distract her but to no avail.

Jareth had departed that very evening in the company of the representatives of the many different factions of people and creatures willing to help with the delivery of the message. Devon and Jareth's reunion and been sweet to see, Devon apologizing for not realizing how hard he was trying to help her, and Jareth apologizing for his failures. Sarah had been surprised to see Avery tag along, but seeing Devon nervously squeezing his hand as they set out, she didn't doubt he would be needed.

It had been hours of grueling waiting everyone trying to reassure the other, when suddenly, a wave of silence was rippling through the throngs of people as a figure ran towards the tavern. Little Mira Mason tumbled into the tavern, panting from the run all the way from the mayor's office.

Sarah ran to her, gripping her shoulders as the young girl tried to catch her breath.

"Dev… Devon's… she's not… coming back." Mira panted.

Sarah frowned, heart sinking. "What do you mean? What has happened?"

Mira's face split into a grin as her struggle to breathe eased. "She can't come back, princesses have to live in the high court after all." She leapt forward and wrapped her arms around Sarah's neck. "We won!" she cheered.

The room exploded into a celebration that swept through the city. Hugs and kisses and a few tears were cried or exchanged between anyone in reach.

Sarah struggled to move through the mob, constantly being inundated with zealous congratulations from everyone she passed. She finally made it to her friends, happy to see a similar bittersweet expression on their faces.

"It worked," Ashlen whispered calmly, face wet with tears.

Jonis' arm around her shoulders squeezed her soothingly. "I'm sure we'll see her again sometime," he assured her, resting his head on hers. "It's what she wanted. What she deserved. At least we can expect better treatment now that someone over there is really on our side."

Sarah felt a tug at her sleeve, looking down she saw Mira looking expectantly up at her. Roland picked her up and the little girl giggled, turning again to Sarah.

"Jareth sent word that he is going straight back to his castle, he said he wanted you to meet him there."

Sarah gazed at the girl, surprised and nodded.

Roland shrugged. "Get some more information out of him Sarah, we all want details. I'll be by later. You can tell me everything that happened."

.

She found Jareth once again lounging in his office's grand windowsill.

"Jareth! You did it!" she exclaimed, jogging over and plopping down opposite him, quieting when she saw the heaviness in his expression.

He turned to her, his troubled mood sinking below the surface of his expression in the blink of an eye. "Yes, it's finally over. My family is whole and though there is much to be worked out, at least the process has begun. Also, we had a bit of a surprise."

"Oh." She tilted her head, pleased at how content he looked.

"When we were hitting a rough spot in the negotiations, Devon and Avery threw us a surprise. Did you know they plan to marry?"

Sarah gasped. "They are! That's wonderful."

"Yes, though my parents did not think so at first, but then I saw firsthand how well those two will get on in court. Within five minutes they had convinced the court that a union between the rulers of the court and those who keep the humans running would only be beneficial. Those two make a beautiful team. Although honestly, I think partly the reason my parents had held out so long to keeping Devon out was on simple principal. Rescinding their decision would hurt their image to the other fey, a pride thing."

She shook her head at the stubbornness. "Unbelievable."

"And that's not the only new development." He took a deep breath as he continued. "To put it exceedingly simply, I spoke to my parents about the Labyrinth, and about stopping it. They agreed."

Sarah couldn't believe her ears. "That's wonderful Jareth, so great!"

He nodded. "I think they realized how big the human population has reached and how much larger it will grow even without the help of new runners and agreed to shut it down."

Her joy finally released and she cried out her joy and leaned over to him, settling a hand on his propped up knee and squeezed. "That's wonderful! No more lost children."

Taking the hand he gently pulling her from her seat and into his embrace. When she finally released the awkward stiffness that filled her in the unexpected embrace, she allowed herself the indulgence to sink into him. He didn't speak for a few moments, trying to elongate the instance in case it was one of his last.

"There's something else, Sarah."

"Oh, whatever it is I'm sure it's dandy, no need to talk about it now," her muffled voice assured him offhandedly from where her face rested in the crook of his neck, only capable of half paying attention to what he was saying given the circumstances.

"It is 'dandy', in a way. Sarah, I'll be making my final trips to the Aboveground today."

"What do you mean 'final'?" she asked, pulling away and regaining her composure. A creeping feeling of apprehension made its way into her stomach.

He grabbed her wrist, stopping her from pulling completely away. "In exchange for letting me stop the Labyrinth, the court is taking away my ability to move between the worlds when the day has lapsed. I have permission to make these final trips back in order to bring any who wish to return."

She closed her eyes to process the news. "Everyone has a chance at a free ticket back home?"

He nodded, running his finger through her rich hair. "I've sent a message to the Valley. Even those born in the Underground, if they are human, the option is open to them, open to you."

She stared at him in puzzlement. "Open to me?"

"You have an important decision to make and need to consider every option and ramification. You must be adamant of your decision, there is no coming back from wherever you choose to stay." He took her in his arms and she felt a light breeze tickle her hair, when he stepped back they were suddenly in her bedroom. "I will return this afternoon for a decision."

She gripped frantically at the front of his navy jacket. "Where are you going?"

He cupped her hands in his. "There is a whole city of people making this decision Sarah. I'm giving you the leisure of hours to decide, but some already know which home they've chosen."

She nodded as he faded away, leaving her hands grasping at air. Turning to her window to gaze out at the Underground, she had only a moment to think before the door swung open and Roland came in.

"It's crazy back there Sarah, one huge party. And word's gotten around about Devon and Avery."

She grinned tightly the reminder, trying to fight down her conflicted feelings.

"What's wrong Sarah?"

"Is that all the new information you've heard? Because there's more."

He moved closer, leaning his hip on the desk. "What is it? Is it bad? Because you're really acting weird."

"No, it's not bad. It's just given me a lot to think about. Jareth told me that everyone has a free ticket back to the Aboveground."

"Wow, really? That's wonderful! So I guess you've got a lot to consider."

She frowned at him. "Not just me, you can go back too if you want."

"But why would I want to?"

Sarah was speechless at his complete lack of interest. She wasn't sure why, seeing his expression, but she'd been sure he'd jump at the chance. "I guess I don't know, I just assumed."

He smiled sadly. "There's nothing up there for me Sarah. My brother's gone, my parents…"

Sarah looked over to see him staring at his feet. She went over to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder to show her support.

"I just don't think there's anything for me to return to." He smiled forlornly, but without self-pity, up at her.

Sarah stared quizzically at the boy. It was back. That nagging feeling Roland had always given her early on when they first met that she had dismissed. The zing she felt when their eyes met or he smiled at her in just the right way.

She understood now what she'd been misreading that zing this entire time. She'd thought it meant she had feelings for Roland, well she did have feelings for him, ones that had developed strongly over time, but they weren't romantic feelings. That reaction she had to him that first time they met, the fascination she'd felt, wasn't the ping of instant attraction, it was of recognition.

"I know who you are, I remember you from before. I remember you and your brother's disappearance."

* * *

A/N: Thank you for all the support thus far!


	14. Reunion

Reunion

14

* * *

Roland's brow wrinkled as he frowned at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

Her heart was fluttering, if she was wrong she'd be so- but no, she wasn't wrong.

"I've known you since I was a child, at least I've know you're face. I saw you, you and your brother on a milk carton; you had gone missing from my neighborhood… I remember you…I know it was you."

He blinked at her, his shock overwhelming his ability to speak.

"Everyone searched for you two, we were out for weeks, nothing ever turned up. It frightened everyone in town for months."

"Do you know anything about my parents? I mean I know it was a long time ago…"

"They're still there, in that house. My father always told me they don't have the heart to move. You know our community, stuff like that never happens, so when you disappeared everyone kept one eye out for you guys, and one on your parents to make sure they were handling things alright."

Roland cradled his head in continued, despaired silence.

There was more, she couldn't figure it out yet, but the revelation of their connected origins hadn't eased her mind like a discovery usually did. Her eyes glazed over as she concentrated, that milk carton picture was still important, it kept jumping out at her whenever her mind tried to follow a path beyond it. The children in the photo, Roland and Nathaniel, they'd been striking, their hollow, light eyes, alongside a other, high sloping features, stood apart from the rest of a faces otherwise sculpted using an a Eastern mold.

"Your eyes are blue," she stated in wonder, realizing the implications of the fact beyond the discovery of his identity and onto the identity of another.

Roland looked at her, bewildered and bemused. "Yea… I always thought it was one of my more obvious traits."

"But you're Asian."

"It's weird, I know, but you'd be surprised what happens with mixed race parents-"

"Your blue eyes- even among the genetic surprises that must be common, that's a pretty unique one," she reasoned frantically to herself.

He stared at her, as she mumbled to herself.

Suddenly, she stilled and closed her eyes as the weight of a lifetime of 'on the verge' recognition and a tip of the tongue feeling whenever she saw her old friend was finally satisfied. Smiling weakly and shaking her head, she looked up at him.

"My friend Erin has blue eyes."

"They're not that rare a color in the general population Sarah."

She shook her head. "He's like you Roland, he looks like you. He's… how often could that have happened?"

Roland stood frozen, hesitant; eventually he started shaking his head at the heartbreaking and impossible chance. "I know what you're thinking Sarah, Nathanial's dead, I visit his grave every week."

"This boy, Roland, I think this boy-"

"No! I watched him catch the sickness. Jareth told me he didn't make it after I watched him take my brother to a healer!"

"There must be something to prove or disprove this! The resemblance, it's too improbable! Did Nathaniel have a birthmark, a personality quirk?"

"He… He always got sick when he was a baby. He had a problem with his immune system," Roland quieted as he remembered. "It's why I wished him away, all the attention he got from being sick. It's the most pathetic reason to wish a little boy away."

"There's no good reason to do what we _both_ did Roland. It's always for a stupid reason. If it wasn't a stupid reason we'd not have used a stupid resolution. We were kids."

They were silent, Roland remembering and Sarah trying to make the connection between these boys she were sure were the same person.

"Erin, when I first met him, he was about 13," she thought aloud.

Roland perked up and looked at her. "That's how old Nathaniel was when…"

"Erin had just started at our school," she interrupted, intent on her recall of those first days of her acquaintance with Erin. "I remember he was weak a lot, didn't have to do gym activities. He got better as we aged but I remember spending a lot of time watching out for him, making sure he felt alright."

Roland shook his head. "Plenty of kids are a little sickly when they're young."

"Erin has a scar on his belly," she announced triumphantly as she pictured the distinct blemish.

Roland's brow furrowed, heart falling as the shred of hope he'd harbored idiotically for years again dimmed. "Nathaniel didn't have-"

Sarah's voice rose along with her heartbeat as she continued to grab at unlikely possibilities. "He said he had just had an operation, he'd gotten a respiratory sickness or something and it had caused his appendix to burst from the stress it put on his body was what the doctors had told him."

"A lot of people get sick and have their appendix taken out, half of my third grade class was missing an appendix."

Sarah waved away his weak attempt to lighten the mood. "Erin, he doesn't remember anything before coming out of surgery."

His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"He doesn't remember his life before waking up from that operation! I mean, who loses their memory from an appendix removal surgery? He said there'd been a big hubbub afterwards because he couldn't remember anything and the doctors had no charts or anything on him and no one knew anything about him, he'd just shown up in the emergency room. Do you know what that sounds like to me?"

"It sounds, Sarah, like a devastating story about an abandoned child."

"No, well yes, it could be, but I don't think so." Her mind was whirring with ideas and connections between events and possibilities. "And you know what, Erin's adopted. His family adopted him soon after the surgery and then they moved to our city, no one claimed him when his information was released. Roland, what other sick kid with no memory and no family turns up and just happens to be the right age and ethnicity? It sounds like something Jareth would do! Roland, how could it not be him?"

"No one claimed him?"

Sarah quieted when she realized the implication behind the words. "Your parents…"

"They weren't looking for us anymore."

"You don't know if that's why, maybe they just missed it…"

He scoffed and shook his head. "Either way, Jareth said…" his voice weak, defeated as he spoke.

"Nathaniel was sick, people were dying and Jareth couldn't stop it." She got up to face him. "He must have sent him back in hopes someone could help him Aboveground."

"That doesn't make any sense, why would he erase this boy's memory?"

"Being swept away to a place where goblins and magic exists, it's probably best that he didn't remember, he would have ended up who knows where if he'd been babbling about fey and fireys," she reasoned.

Roland slumped down into the chair, his body resigned to the absurd shred of hope welling within him but exhausted from the constant back and forth between hope and despair. "Who does he live with now? This Erin boy."

She lowered herself onto the chair's arm next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "His name is Erin Perdu, he lives with a very nice adoptive family. He's lucky to have found them really, being so sick and on the older side. He really doesn't remember anything before waking up in the hospital. The doctor said sometimes a really bad illness can cause enough shock to cause amnesia, but I do think Jareth probably had something to do with it."

"I've never gotten over my brother dying Sarah, I don't think I can take it if he's suddenly alive again. Or worse, if this is all a mistake and you get me to believe once again," he admitted.

"Do you want me to-"

"Just, let me think awhile," he interrupted.

Sarah nodded and backed to the door. "I'm gonna go talk to Jareth, find out what happened."

Roland didn't answer as he rubbed at his face. Sarah turned and ran through the halls to find the truth.

.

Her chest heaved as she entered the room, she stuck out a hand to stop Jareth when he stood from his chair to go to her, looking bewildered at her disheveled appearance.

"Eri- Nathanial is still alive, isn't he?" Her run had solidified her feelings about her idea.

Jareth's face fell and his eyes became sorrowful. "Again, you manage to astound me with your ability to discover information."

"What did you do? How could you not tell anyone? Roland's lived all this time not knowing! My god. Erin's been this boy Nathaniel, all this time-"

Jareth wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in close, her words muffled by his shoulder.

"I did the best I could with the situation I was dealt." His hand came up and soothed the back of her head. "The only way I could get Nathanial to safety was to send him Aboveground. But to move between the worlds I must be granted permission, and the court would not allow me to bring Roland along as well, they would allow me only one favor."

Sarah gritted her teeth and tried not to cry in frustration. She squeezed her hands into fists where they were trapped between them and shoved him away. "That was so cruel Jareth, if it had been Toby, and all this time…"

"Sarah." His arms stretched out to her again, aching to comfort her.

She backed away and shook her head, choking on sobs.

"Sarah!"

She spun and dashed away. How could he be capable of such a thing? To face Roland's broken heart everyday and never ease his pain, it was too cruel. She couldn't stand to face Roland with the news yet so she wandered aimlessly through the halls. Turning a corner she heard an unusual amount of chatter and searched it out to distract her. Peeking into the dinning hall she was immediately wrapped in someone's arms.

"Did you hear Sarah?" Ashlen asked as she swept her up in an eager hug. "Everyone has been given the choice to live in the Aboveground! Isn't it exciting?"

Sarah smiled at the younger girl's enthusiasm and nodded. "Will you be going back then?" she asked half-heartedly, not able to imagine Ashlen with her wild read hair and flowy dresses stuffed into a modern pair of jeans and sneakers.

"Oh, I can't decide! I've always wanted to see my family!" She bounced over to sit on the table. "I've always dreamt about going back."

"I'm not going," Jonis declared, sitting down next to her.

Ashlen's face fell. "Have you even thought about it?"

"I don't have to Ash, I'd be leaving my entire family behind. There's nothing for me there, my whole family wants to stay here, the Underground's in our blood."

"Oh."

"But Ash if you want to-"

The door swung open and Roland burst and all eyes focused on him.

Sarah's eyes widened. "Roland!"

He stared at her, his expression a mixture of joy and pain. "Jareth told me."

"Oh, Roland" Sarah whispered.

"Told you what?" Ashlen piped in. "About going back up?"

Roland nodded slowly. "That… and about Nathaniel."

Jonis's head jerked up. Ashlen looked from Roland's dark, shocked expression to Sarah's knowing one, confused.

"What about him Roland?"

Roland's hand shot through his hair, stopping to grip the back of his head as if holding himself together. "He's still alive."

Silence fell upon them following Ashlen's sharp gasp. "How?" Ashlen hissed.

"He's Aboveground. Jareth sent him, he was healed there. Sarah is friends with him, was friends with him, Aboveground, his name's Erin now."

They looked to Sarah in disbelief.

"Yeah, um, he's been my friend for years. I had no idea when I got here that he was also your Nathaniel. I'm sorry, I feel like I should have figured it out sooner somehow."

Ashlen let out a half sob, half laugh. "The little joker's been alive all this time. To think how many times I cried thinking he was dead."

Jonis's expression became clouded just before he slowly left the room. Ashlen struggled with what to do, before following him.

"Jonis thinks Ashlen will leave him behind now. She used to –."

"Be in love with Nathaniel, I know."

"How-?"

"I just do. Do you think she will go?"

"Of course not. Ashlen and Nathaniel were as sweet on each other as two children can be, but it was silly and wouldn't have been anything if they'd had the chance to grow up and out of it. And Jonis is too important to her now, their life will be together, and it will be lived here."

She nodded. "What will you do now?"

"I'm going back."

Sarah's eyebrows shot up. "You will? And leave everything behind?"

He nodded solemnly. "I have to be with him."

"Of course." An uneasy thought struck her. "What if he doesn't... remember?"

He shook his head against the thought. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to him." He looked up at her. "As for you Sarah, you're the only one with the decision yet to make."

She paused as she realized she had not even wondered about her own fate, her family, both Aboveground and the one here. "I… I don't know."

"You need to hurry." He slowly walked to her and turned her around to face a window and the sun which was clearly moving towards the horizon. "There are may be three hours of sunlight left to the day, your time is almost up."

She gripped his arm in terror. "I don't know Roland! I don't know where I want to be for the rest of my life!"

He smiled sadly down at her. "I'm sure you do, Sarah, deep down." He bent down and embraced her tightly. "I'm leaving once I say good bye to the others. In an hour I'll be in Jareth's study and ready to go back, you know, in case you want to go together, since we have the same destination."

.

She roamed the castle listlessly. More than anyone, she wanted to consult with Jareth, but he was busy shuttling back and forth between the worlds, piecing together families long split apart and breaking relationships created from those broken pieces that had once been brought together in the Underground. She found she was incapable of clearly thinking about the issue at hand, her mind refusing to stay on the topic without fluttering to something else. She'd sought company with Ludo, Hoggle and Sir Didymus, who'd rallied around her, insisting she do whatever would make her happiest. But how could she now which would make her happiest when it was like choosing between sight or hearing? Hoggle told her to go back home, where she would be safest, but it was halfhearted, he knew there was nothing in the Underground that would harm her anymore.

An hour had passed numbly when she stumbled into the room where her future would be decided. Two men, representative of her two choices turned to look at her as she entered. Roland smiled weakly, seemingly sick with anticipation about what awaited him Aboveground, Jareth struggling visibly with his own worries.

She still did not know what she had chosen.

"Sarah, come with me to bring Roland back. Perhaps you need to see the Aboveground for your decision can be made."

She nodded and stepped closer.

"Let's be off then. Roland, are you ready?"

Roland nodded mutely, reaching out to Sarah who took his hand tightly. Jareth laced his fingers through her other hand, their palms were pushed apart as a crystal swelled to existence between their hands, before popping, tickling her palm.

.

Roland, Sarah and Jareth stood in front of a plain, grey bricked police station. Citizens marched passed, unaware of the unusual appearance of three people out of nowhere. Sarah could feel a faint tremble travel through Roland and she squeezed his hand. He jerked slightly, having forgotten his companions in that moment, too busy taking in sights of a world that had become like a fairytale place to him. Cars and technology, there was a buzz to the sound of life here that he didn't remember when he left, everything was making noise, it seemed to even tremble on the air. They stood there, frozen for long moments.

Roland couldn't move, clinging to Sarah, wanting her to make the first step. She was so much stronger than him, the champion, maybe he couldn't do this after all. Then Sarah was in front of him, her arm coming around to hug him, the fingers of her left hand still entangled with his, she buried her face in his hair. He wasn't sure what to do, his numbness was terrible, overwhelming.

He was stiff in her embrace and somehow his skin seemed cold in the late summer breeze. Sarah tried to untangle her fingers to hug him more properly but he wouldn't let go. She sighed into his hair and was about to release him when his limp arm wrapped around her to share the embrace.

"I'm scared Sarah," his voice low and shaky.

She nodded, rubbing her cheek against his. "Me too."

"What if… What it he-"

"Shh," she hushed, "everything will work out."

"But if it doesn't, there's no turning back."

She smiled. "Isn't that how it always is? But me and you, we're lucky, we've both been granted-," she hesitated and peeked over at Jareth standing a few paces back, "second chances."

"Second chances?" he whispered.

"Our last chance to be where we belong, to be with who needs us most." Sarah felt her mind clearing slowly, but not entirely. "We both know where our paths go from here, we just need to make our goodbyes."

Roland nodded, hugging her closer one last time before releasing her. Sarah covered her mouth to stifle the small, hiccupped sob that escaped as she moved back to his side, their grip still unrelenting. A larger hand came to rest on Roland's shoulder and he gazed up at Jareth's smiling face.

"You must simply enter that police station and announce who you are, give them your true name and everything will work itself out. You will not be unprotected Roland," Jareth reassured. "I will make sure all goes well, as I did for little Nathaniel."

Roland's face strained against his fears and he nodded. With a final squeeze to his shoulder Jareth stepped back.

Roland moved haltingly forward, Sarah trailing along beside him. As he began climbing the steps his fingers loosened, and soon only the faintest grip kept them touching. When he reached the door, he turned to her and swept a thumb over her knuckles as he broke the connection. He smiled sorrowfully to her before turning and entering the station without hesitation, ready for what waited for him in his chosen path.

A jolt seemed to pass through her as the surrounding world seemed to become more real than it had moments ago. The sights and sounds beat at her senses, the tapping of heals and roaring engines. Everything was suddenly loud and bright and colorful. She stepped back in shock and Jareth's hand on her back stopped her from tumbling down the steps.

"What happened?" she asked.

"You're finally back, until you let go, the two of you had not yet truly separated from the Underground, now you have crossed all the way over."

She nodded and gazed through the glass doors. "What will happen to him?"

"Everything will happen very fast for him, I thought he had waited long enough for this moment, he deserves to be reunited as soon as possible."

At that moment, a policeman bustled out of the station, yelling on his phone excitedly as he held the station door open.

"The car's ready! Get him into it, officers on the street have already been notified of the positive identification of both siblings and are en route to the younger boy's home as well as to notify the parents."

Sarah was bewildered at the bustle as Roland was escorted out of the building by a barrage of uniforms. He looked different somehow, like he had been gone a long time and she was seeing him again after time had passed, he looked more youthful, his face more open to his emotions as if he had never gone through the hardship of the Underground. She gasped at the change.

Roland's head jerked over to them at the sound, his expression not registering any recognition when their eyes met and he was hurried past.

"Roland," she called, hesitantly.

He looked back at her, confusion masking -his wide open face. An officer pressed him to keep moving and the second gaze they momentarily shared was as blank and emotionless as one shared between any two strangers. And like that, Roland disappeared into a patrol car and was whisked away.

"He doesn't… He-"

"No longer knows us Sarah."

Sarah's chest tightened. "Why? Why must he forget?"

He cupped her cheek and smiled gently when she did not pull away. "It is the way of things. And he will be happy this way, no need to cloud his decision with memories of what might have been."

She finally shrugged his hand away. "You always leave things unsaid, you never warn me of what will happen even if you know ahead of time, even when you know they will hurt me."

"If you were not so very strong, then I would protect you more fervently. But it would be an insult to your might if I were to baby you Sarah, I have more respect for you than that."

"It wouldn't hurt so much if you'd warn me," she insisted softly.

He sighed. "Yes, I'm afraid it would. There is truly nothing in this world or the next that would ease the pain you are feeling at this moment."

She agreed silently to herself but refused to acknowledge it aloud. "What next?"

"Your moment of rebirth is all the business I have left to do. What have you decided Sarah? I will give you the freedom to see what you wish here before you decide whether to return to the Underground with me or not."

She froze at his words. They sounded as if he intended to leave her here to think the issue over by herself. She grabbed him. "Don't leave me!"

"I have no intention to Sarah, unless you want some time to yourself. Just tell me where in this world you want to visit and I will take you there."

"I'm not ready to see my family yet," she realized only as she said it.

He nodded as she absentmindedly led them down the street. Hearing her stomach rumble and realizing the late hour, he directed her into a diner. Where they had dinner to the background noise of the local breaking news.

Sarah was silent, spinning the noodles in her soup around distractedly. Her attention only peaking when her ears caught the news announcers voice.

"Two local boys who had been missing for the last thirteen years were recovered and reunited with their parents early this evening. While the whereabouts of the two boys for nine of those years is unknown, the younger of the two, Nathaniel Choi, turned up in an emergency room in Pennsylvania, with no memory of the years prior, with an acute appendicitis as well as various other illnesses. It is presumed that he was left there due to his illness, his kidnappers most likely unable to handle the issue. The young boy was then adopted into the Perdu family who, in a bizarre twist to the story, proceeded to move north to the very city of the boy's birth and where his family still resides. Adding to the baffling story, the elder brother was recovered today at the downtown police station, also suffering from amnesia of the past thirteen years. It is still unknown where the elder brother, Roland Coeur Choi, has been these…."

'Roland Coeur Choi.' The name resonated in Sarah's mind. Jareth smiled sadly and Sarah's eyes widened.

"His Underground name? He kept it, how? He isn't supposed to remember…"

"He must have given it to the police as his true name, he came to me as little Roland Choi but that is not who he is now. A part of the Underground will always be with him now, in name and in soul."

"But he won't actually remember anything."

Jareth was quiet for a moment as he hesitated. "Perhaps, the human mind is a mysterious thing." Was the only reply Jareth had for her.

"You're doing it again, being evasive." She sighed as she gazed back at the screen.

A video was being shown of the Coeur family's reunion. Tears of a family reunited flooded the screen. She felt dizzy as the two worlds she inhabited seemed to collide as she saw the two boys she had learned to love separately, in two wholly dissimilar universes, embrace in front of a home in her neighborhood she had seen often growing up. Roland, the once mysterious boy and Nathaniel, no she didn't know Nathaniel, she knew Erin, she didn't know who he'd been before he became Erin, but she supposed she was seeing glimpses of the equally mysterious boy she'd heard so much about now as he gripped his brother in his arms. Roland had a similar feeling, like at the police station. He was subtly changed as she inspected his beaming face.

Her heart felt full enough to burst as she shared their happiness and enjoyed these possibly final glimpses of her dear friends. She jumped when Jareth's finger broke her reverie as it flicked away one of the many tears she cried alongside the family she watched.

"You can have that too, Sarah, if you want it." He gazed at her sorrowfully, his own thoughts that these moments could be their last stained his thoughts.

"I know," she acknowledged hoarsely.

He gazed at her, his expression edging towards the blank mask it had so often been early on in their acquaintance, falsely calm as he prepared himself for what was to come. "Come, we have people you need to see, I'm sure, before you can make this final decision."

* * *

a/n: I decided, perhaps stupidly, to add one more chapter to the story and leave it for Sarah's decision. So, I'm sorry about the false alarm in my previous a/n… oops.


	15. Settled

Settled

15

* * *

Sarah stood on the sidewalk among the familiar faces of her neighbors. It seemed everyone on this side of town had come out to celebrate the Choi boys' recovery, as if pulled from their cozy homes by the force of the family's love and that edge of grief for all those years lost in the wind, but mostly to share in the miracle.

She wandered through the crowd, back and forth like a cat stalking its prey. She was hungry to witness every hug, tear and lingering look shared between the family members.

Jareth shadowed her every move as if tethered to her, unable to allow her to stray too far in case she just kept going.

Unwilling to be seen, to disturb, Sarah stooped behind a news cameraman, then bounced to another as one or both of the brothers' faces turned in her direction. It took a single, too slow step and she got caught in Roland's gaze. She froze, staring back, expectant despite herself in the deep, stubborn pit of her belly.

He did not recognize her. He did not react, call out her name or bring her in to share the hug, as she was sure he would have if he could remember her. But, for a moment, as her shoulders slumped in a swirl of relief and sorrow and she turned to slip away, she caught the faint glimmer of a half remembered something flit behind his eyes.

"Did Roland see you?" Jareth asked, glancing back as they broke free of the crowd and floated down the deserted street.

Sarah tilted her head slightly, a slight smile tracing her lips. "Almost."

She stopped short as she recognized the car driving up to join the long line of vehicles scattered down the street. When her father, Karen and Toby popped out, rushing to the crowd, Sarah gasped and started to run after them, but Jareth's touch at her elbow stopped her.

"What? It's..." Her words faded as she understood the meaning in Jareth's gaze. "If I go to them, that's it isn't it? You'll be gone."

His eyes were solemn and Sarah turned to watch Toby's fluffy hair bob through the crowd from his perch on Karen's hip.

She felt the lightest touch where Jareth's fingertips pressed to the inside of her wrist. Relaxing her fist, her palm tingled as he slid his hand down to weave his fingers with hers. They turned a corner and she felt the ache for home spread through her as they approached, she squeezed his hand to ease the burn. Her gaze fell to the road, sweeping side-to-side like a blind man's cane, hesitant to glimpse their destination too soon. Could she leave this all behind? Would she ever stop craving for whichever place she had turned her back on? Maybe she would never be content, whichever world she chose.

Her gaze jerked up as she recognized the curb in front of her house. It was just as she had left it and it had never looked more inviting in her entire life. The yearning to throw the doors open, run inside and never leave was as tangible as Jareth's hand entwined with hers. She turned to him, startled. He hadn't said a word or done anything to draw her attention in awhile and she, just for an instant, had forgotten he was there. She looked up to stare at him, hard.

"Shouldn't you be trying to sway my decision? Don't you want to?"

He pulled his gaze from the house he hadn't seen in years and focused on her searching face. "Not even a little."

Feeling a twinge of annoyance she said, "'I thought you'd be trying harder to get me to stay with you?"

He remained frustratingly silent, gazing down at her with a weak smile that barely turned up the corners of his mouth and did not even come close to touching the blue of his eyes.

Turning back, she gazed up at her window. Her feet guided her forward as her mind wondered where her family was, the family car was not in the driveway. As she moved forward there was the faintest tensing in Jareth's fingers, threatening –for a moment—to refuse to release her, before unclasping and slipping away. Reaching the porch steps she stooped to swipe up the extra key then hoped up to open the front door. The bite of cool air from the a/c nipped her face after the fuzzy warmth of outside. She gazed around her childhood home, the only home she'd known until recently, and not a bad one she admitted to herself. Climbing the stairs to her room she smiled at the family photos that decorated the walls. She wished she could wrap Toby in her arms this instant, as she was in the photo at the top of the stairs. Maybe rumpling that golden mane would make the decision easier. She turned away and floated to her room. Her heart leapt as she entered. She'd missed this place. She missed her family.

She spotted her phone on the edge of her vanity and snapped it up. Oh! Erin, no, Nathaniel had been calling and messaging her all this time. What a horrible friend she'd been, but at least she'd made it up to him by reuniting him with his family. Maybe he'd stay in town now, instead of going to California for school and leaving her alone. And Roland, maybe that spark in his eye would one day unlock a memory, but if not, and she had to start all over with him, she'd do the remembering for the both of them. Either way, the three of them could go to school together, spend the weekends together, go to the park and read plays and stories while out on the lake in the old rowboat like she and Nathaniel used to do back in high school. She would read aloud while Roland rowed and Nathaniel could hold her bright white parasol over them for shade while the breeze cooled their faces.

She smiled and gazed out of her window, imagining them walking each other home from class. She and Nathaniel and Roland would grow into adulthood together, get jobs nearby and live happily ever after. Their families would have picnics and chat about how big Toby was getting and how he was getting to be so clever. Her mother would start visiting again and together they would act out scenes from her latest show for everyone else like they had when she was little.

Her eyes danced on the images she painted for herself until she something on the sidewalk flickered in the sunlight, catching her eye. Concentrating, the form of Jareth flickered once more, his image sharpening then becoming opaque and misty.

"Jareth," she gasped, and his form solidified until he was once again as solid and real as his surroundings. His eyes, soft, pierced through her from below and that weak, mournful smile still pressed at the corner his mouth.

She dashed down the stairs and out of the house. She almost flung herself to him but skidded to stop an arm's length away, throat constricting around the words she spoke.

"You were leaving me," she accused.

"You were moving on."

"No, I don't want to forget…"

His hand reached out and smoothed across her shoulder to her neck so his thumb could stroke the curve of her jaw, the soft leather of his gloves ticking where it touched yet leaving a path of burning skin where it passed. Her eyes dropped to the button on his royal blue jacket.

"You have finally found peace here."

"Yes," she admitted, playing with the button. "Now, more than ever before, I see how happy I could be, how happy I should have been all this time."

His other hand cupped her cheek and she found that she could no longer look anywhere but his face.

"But what about you, Jareth?"

When he didn't answer, just stared down at her, feeling her warmth through his gloves and wanting to never lose it, she sighed and yanked his hands down.

He tried to replace them. "Sarah—"

But she held him fast. When he stilled she gripped his fingertips and tugged until the gloves released his hands and slid from his long fingers. She took his wrists and brought them back to her face, soaking in the feverish heat of his palms.

"What about you?" she whispered.

He smiled down at her, his thumbs dimpling her cheeks as they stroked back and forth. "I tried to make you do as I wanted once, and you ran from me. I won't make that mistake again. I would not want any decision influenced by me."

"You foolish king. Do you really think there is any way I will make a decision without your influence? After all this? There will always be a part of you guiding me." She leaned forward and rested her head in the scoop of his neck.

"Then I presume I must let you keep that little piece of me, always."

"You couldn't take it back if you wanted. You know, I think that little piece of you is what coaxed me back to the Underground."

He chuckled and his breath blew warm and comforting through her hair. "How naughty of me."

"There was always something reminding me, nagging me, telling me there was something missing, somewhere to escape to." Her brow crinkled a she realized something.

Jareth began rubbing his chin across her scalp, sensing her tension. Sarah fought the soothing sensation and pulled away. "You wiped both Roland and Nathaniel's memories when they came back, why not mine?"

"I suppose," he sighed. "I did not want to be forgotten, not by you."

Her smile couldn't have been brighter as she gazed up at him and cursed the tears that swam in her eyes for obscuring her view of him.

"Now," he said, gently, "it's time to decide, Sarah."

She nodded and turned back to her home, feeling a chill as she lost contact with Jareth. "I suppose there comes a point in life when you realize you can't have it all, and your choices narrow to the two most beloved parts of your life that for whatever reason cannot conceivably exist together. You know the path you choose must be the one that is _enough_ to get you through the pain of losing what you'll leave behind, and that _enough_-ness will be the only reassurance that you've made the decision your heart can survive making." She slowly turned to face him. "I'll miss home if I choose you, I'll miss you if I choose my family, but only one of my options is enough to make up for the gaping hole in my heart I'll be left with."

She shivered as his fingers traced along the back of her ear, tucking away a slip of hair. "Sounds like you don't need a little piece of anyone guiding you anymore, little adventurer."

"No, I guess you're my cure for wanderlust."

His lips were sweet, velvet softness. She could taste a tang that hinted at a future of possibilities as she opened her mouth to him and knew, in the pull of his lips, the urgent sizzle of his hands cupped to her jaw and entwined in her hair, that he also tasted in her everything that would fill him up and make him strong enough to face whatever yet unrevealed obstacles were in his future as a 'different kind' of Goblin King-and she knew she'd made the right choice.

* * *

The End

* * *

a/n: If you have enjoyed even a small part of Sarah's journey in this story then I will allow myself to be pompous enough to brand this story a success. Thanks for all of the support, and extra love to any who stuck through my atrocious habit of never updating. I am glad to give you a 'forever in progress' story to finally cross off the list. Happy reading and support all of our writers of Labyrinth adventures here and review!


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